Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul could miss the entire 2019 season after he fractured his neck in a car accident in Broward County, Florida. The accident occurred last Thursday (May 2) and Pierre-Paul was treated at a hospital before being released. Authorities say that he was not speeding at the time and was not cited for the single-car wreck.
"As we stated last week following the news of Jason's auto accident, our immediate concern was for both Jason and his passenger,"Buccaneer's general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. "While Jason was treated and released in South Florida the same day of the accident, we wanted to ensure that our medical team had an opportunity to perform a thorough evaluation here in Tampa, and that process is currently ongoing."
According to a report by ESPN, Pierre-Paul will likely require surgery and is meeting with neck specialists to determine the best course of action. The nine-year veteran hopes he will be able to salvage some of the 2019 season.
This is not the first time that the 30-year-old defensive end has suffered an off-the-field injury that cost him significant playing time. In July 2015, he lost several fingers following a fireworks accident and was unsure if he would ever play football again. He managed to make a comeback and suited up for the final eight games of the season.
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