Ed Oliver's playoff return hopes dim as a new procedure sidelines the defensive tackle, potentially ending his season after a bicep tear.
When the Buffalo Bills start the playoffs next week, many fans were hoping it would mark the return of defensive tackle Ed Oliver. The former first round pick has played in just three games this season, and has been out of action since suffering a bicep injury in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers
And now, despite weeks of rehabbing from the torn bicep, it looks like a separate procedure might be what keeps him off the field. Possibly, for the remainder of the year.
Speaking with the media ahead of Wednesday's practice, head coach Sean McDermott revealed that Oliver had a meniscus cleanup procedure done this week.
"He had a knee cleanup---meniscus---Monday of this week," he said. "He looks like he's doing well from that. So, he's now working through that as well as the bicep."
As far as when the knee injury happened, McDermott said it was while Oliver was rehabbing the bicep. He later added that he wasn't sure on Oliver's possible return to the lineup.
"[It] probably adds a little bit of cloudiness to his return window," he said. "So, I don’t have as much clarity on that return. But there’s still a chance it’s somewhere where they initially forecasted it to be."
As mentioned, Oliver has played in just three games for Buffalo this season. In Week 1 against Baltimore, Oliver had six tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, a sack, and a forced fumble. He then suffered an ankle injury during practice leading up to the team's Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets.
He returned for two games against Atlanta and Carolina, recording three tackles and a sack in each of those games. Against Carolina, Oliver was hurt during a run-of-the-mill rushing play from the Panthers. Just before the two-minute warning in the first half, Oliver went to make a tackle and his arm seemed to get caught and hyperextended. That seemed to be when the injury happened.
At the time, the belief was he could be back in time for possibly the divisional round of the playoffs. With this new knee injury, however, it's another day-by-day approach to see if the Bills will get back their star tackle for a deep playoff run.