Eric Wood knew about injury but wanted one more game
It’s a swan song that never came to be for Eric Wood of the Buffalo Bills, as the NFL veteran is set to retire due to a career-ending injury on Monday.
News broke on Friday that Eric Wood had suffered a career-ending injury that was going to force him out of football. As the day went on, it was revealed that the injury was the result of the wear and tear of the game. However, it didn’t change the fact that the result was still going to be the same, him having to retire.
According to a recent report from Buffalo News, Wood found out about his injury a couple of weeks ago. The injury was discovered during his post-season physical and it was determined at that time that Wood would not be cleared to continue his football career in the NFL.
"The injury is viewed as mostly cumulative and degenerative from wear and tear over time and not triggered by a single incident."
Despite being told by doctors that he would not be able to continue his playing career, Wood held out hope for one last game. Wood was hoping to get a call to play on the AFC Pro Bowl team on Sunday. However, that call was never made and as a result Wood will announce his retirement on Monday.
Some fans took to social media this weekend to question his decision to want to play on Sunday despite the injury. It’s important for those fans to remember that the Pro Bowl is a lot different than a regular NFL game. It’s also important to understand that if he were to have played on Sunday, those on the field would have been quite aware of the situation. As a result, it’s hard to imagine anything too crazy happening.
Moving forward, this is another issue that the Bills will have to address during the offseason.
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Wood was easily the solidifying force on the Bills’ offensive line during his entire time in Buffalo. Moreover, he was a leader both on and off of the field. Replacing Woods production on the field will be a challenge, while replacing his leadership and impact off of the field might be impossible.