Buffalo Bills: Update on Seantrel Henderson, Crohn’s Disease

Buffalo Bills’ right tackle Seantrel Henderson had an awkward 2016 season and is still suspended for 5 games, but he’s doing well.

When the Buffalo Bills drafted Seantrel Henderson in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, they didn’t know they would be getting a starting right tackle that was ready to start day-one. Still just 25 years old, Henderson still has a lot of football left to play and his recent struggle with Crohn’s disease won’t hold him back much longer.

Speaking with a source close to Henderson, I was pleased to learn that he is doing well, is healthy, passing his drug tests and getting his weight back under control. Although he still has to serve a 5-game suspension (part of his 10-game suspension handed last season), things are looking bright for the young right tackle.

After being drafted, Henderson started all 16 games in 2014 and by the end of the season had established himself as the starter moving forward. His play was so stellar during his rookie season that he led all NFL players in performance-based pay — which is a system set forth by the NFL to reward players that don’t get paid a lot, but perform well.

For that reason, a player that only made $470,880 in 2014 ended up getting a bonus of $373,671 in his rookie season — almost doubling his compensation. The second highest performance-based earnings that year was $339,566 by Packers’ center Corey Linsley.

After missing the final 5 games of last season, Henderson still has five more to miss due to suspension at the start of this upcoming season.

He would end up starting 10 of the first 11 games in 2015, but would eventually find his way on the “illness” report. After a little while, we learned that Seantrel Henderson was being treated for Crohn’s disease and would miss the rest of the season. In his place, Jordan Mills started the final 5 games and played well enough to earn trust from the coaching staff moving forward.

That brought us to last season. With Henderson making progress as training camp approached, a timetable still wasn’t given and it was clear the Buffalo Bills wouldn’t have him available at the start of the season. He would find his way back near the end of training camp and would also appear in the third preseason game, but the team later announced that he wasn’t ready.

His name was still floating around as the regular season crept up, but it didn’t take long before the Bills announced he would be facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It was later reported that he tested positive for marijuana. Although he would appeal the suspension, since the marijuana use was mandatory for his treatment of Crohn’s disease, the appeal would be unsuccessful.

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Ultimately, Cyrus Kouandjio and Jordan Mills would battle it out and the starting spot was handed back to Mills. Meanwhile, Henderson was left out of commission for four weeks and hoping for a return soon after.

He would finally see action Week 11 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, where he played a little over half of the Buffalo Bills‘ offensive snaps. Unfortunately again, the NFL would suspend Henderson for the same reason as his first suspension — the use of marijuana.

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Again, he was using it for his Crohn’s disease and couldn’t do anything about it. Since it was his second offence, he was handed a 10-game suspension.

After missing the final 5 games of last season, Henderson still has five more to miss due to suspension at the start of this upcoming season.

The good news is, Henderson is doing well and should find his way back into football at some point this season. A source close to Henderson notified me that he has been passing his marijuana tests for months, his weight is back under control (which was a large problem with Crohn’s disease when he lost 20 pounds almost immediately), but most importantly he is HEALTHY.

The source was also happy to announce that he has had a son and is enjoying life as a father — living drama-free.

I’m glad to hear he is doing well and even more excited to see him back out on the field — when the time is right. There’s still a chance that Seantrel Henderson can be the Buffalo Bills‘ starting right tackle for many years to come.

As for right now, the Buffalo Bills are stuck with questions at right tackle. Luckily, the rest of the offensive line is solid across the board. Let’s take a look at how they stack up next season.

Next: Buffalo Bills' Offensive Line Looking Stronger Than Ever

What are your thoughts on Seantrel Henderson? Leave your comments below!