NFL
Buffalo Bills’ Vontae Davis Retires From Football At Halftime
Buffalo Bills’ cornerback Vontae Davis announced his retirement Sunday — but not in the way that most people would expect. Davis, surprisingly, made the abrupt decision to retire at halftime of the Bills’ 31-20 loss to the Los Angeles Charges. Shortly after Davis left, he stated publicly his reason for the sudden retirement.
“Today on the field it really hit me hard and fast: I shouldn’t be out there anymore.”
In light of Davis’ surprise exit, Bills head coach Sean McDermott was asked about the situation after the game. “Davis pulled himself from the game,” McDermott stated. “He communicated with us that he was done.”
Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander also responded to reporters questions about Davis’ retirement.
“I never have seen [retirement at halftime] … Never heard of it. Never seen it. It’s just completely disrespectful to his teammates. He didn’t say nothing to nobody. I found out going into the second half of the game. They said he’s not coming out, he retired. That’s it.”
Davis subsequently released a longer, official statement on Sunday evening through the NFL.
Vontae Davis’ NFL Career
Vontae Davis spent 10 seasons in the NFL. The cornerback was a part of the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and, lastly, the Buffalo Bills. The two-time Pro-Bowler played at the University of Illinois, eventually entering the 2009 NFL Draft. Davis was chosen in the first round by the Miami Dolphins.
Notably, in more recent news, Davis singed a one-year contract with the Bills in February. David made the move to Buffalo after six prior seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. His contract in Buffalo totaled $2.25 million in base salary with a $1.5 million signing bonus. In addition, $2 million of his base salary was guaranteed.
The Bills Without Davis
Davis’ departure came as yet another blow to an already-troubled team. Despite an atrocious opening performance by QB Nathan Peterman, Buffalo kept him as starter over rookie first-rounder Josh Allen for their Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Peterman quickly proved that to be a very poor decision, throwing for 24 yards and two interceptions before he was finally benched for Allen. However, even with Allen under center, the Bills’ have serious problems. With Davis now retired, the Bills have a large hole to fill in an already-flawed secondary. The list of problems continues to grow for Buffalo and Davis’ retirement – which is as embarrassing as it is damaging to their roster – is unlikely to be the last of their concerns.
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Photo credit: John Ellrod via Flickr
