Buffalo Bills CB Dane Jackson taken to hospital for evaluation of neck injury after collision with teammate

ORCHARD PARK, NY — Bills starting cornerback Dane Jackson was evaluated for a neck injury at a local hospital Monday night after a frightening collision with a teammate in Buffalo’s 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Jackson has full mobility in his extremities, according to Bills, and underwent a CT scan and X-ray at Erie County Medical Center.

“I’m still waiting for word and I’m obviously praying for Dane and everyone else [the Bills’ injured players],” said coach Sean McDermott after the game. you go from a trainer to a human when I’m out there watching him get loaded into the ambulance. It’s a real moment.”

The accidental collision occurred when Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds made a second-down tackle on Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Jackson’s head seemed to snap back after making contact with Edmund’s helmet.

“Definitely a tough game. I just kind of saw the receiver still up and just trying to finish the game,” Edmunds said. “A situation that I obviously didn’t do on purpose. I would never try to do that to my teammate, but like I said…the phone was still on the phone, I was just trying to take him down and unfortunately I ended up hitting Dane.”

The game was delayed nearly 10 minutes as team coaches tended to Jackson, who was moving his legs. He was then placed on a stretcher and taken through the stadium tunnel in an ambulance.

Teammates surrounded Jackson while he was being groomed, with Edmunds staying nearby most of the time.

“Just seeing him move, just seeing him give a thumbs up on the way out – obviously that’s helped a lot of us. … It put a lot of us at ease,” Edmunds said.

McDermott said he had a moment to talk to Jackson in the Bills’ tunnel before the ambulance left the stadium.

Jackson, a third-year player who started the season in place of the injured Tre’Davious White, had three tackles Monday and recorded an interception in the Bills’ win over the Los Angeles Rams last week.

After Jackson’s injury, rookies Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam took his place. They had turned against Jackson to start the season.

Bill’s Safety Damar Hamlin is a close friend of Jackson’s and said that although the moment on the field was difficult, he received an encouraging response from Jackson.

“It felt awful. It felt like one of my brothers was down,” Hamlin said. “And with the severity of how it happened, it only made it more extreme. Because it didn’t seem fair [a] regular injury. But when I spoke to him, when he told me that he’s good on the field – we have that kind of bond where he lets me know when something’s going on, so I’m praying for him and I know that he is. is going to be alright.”

As for other Bills injuries, starting safety Micah Hyde was ruled out after suffering a neck injury late in the third quarter when Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill came in contact with receiver Robert Woods on the first down. Hyde was examined on the field for a few minutes before walking away under his own power and entering the blue medical tent.

Hyde was later taken off the field on the back of a cart. Backup Jaquan Johnson replaced him in the game.

“It was a weird game, wasn’t it,” said safety Jordan Poyer. “I texted Micah, he said he was fine. Dane said he’s fine too. I only pray for these guys.”

Bills center Mitch Morse missed part of the game with a right elbow injury but was able to return. Linebacker Matt Milano (Stinger) and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (hamstring) both left the game with injuries while backups were plentiful. Wide receiver Gabe Davis missed Monday’s game with an ankle injury.

McDermott had no further information on the Bills’ injuries.