Orchard Park, NY -- After missing his first game of the season due to a lingering Achilles injury flaring back up, Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Shawne Merriman's season is over.
The Bills placed Merriman on Injured Reserve Tuesday afternoon, effectively ending his season ten weeks short with nine tackles and one sack
for the team.
In a press release issued by the team, General Manager Buddy Nix released the following statement:
“Shawne has worked extremely hard, but unfortunately, his Achilles flared back up and it doesn’t appear that he will be able to return to the field anytime soon,” said Nix. “So we felt it was in the best interest of our team and for Shawne to put him on IR.”
After picking up Merriman from waivers in 2010, the Bills had to quickly put him on IR due to the same Achilles injury. After undergoing treatment throughout the off-season, Merriman showed signs of playing form in his San Diego days during preseason in August.
The Achilles injury flared back up on the Thursday ahead of Buffalo's game against the New York Giants. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, the Bills have signed Antonio Coleman off of the Giants' practice squad to fill the vacated roster spot.
Coleman played with the Bills last year, before being cut ahead of this season.
Merriman issued the following statement on his website after the announcement was made:
"Due to the fact that I have recently been experiencing excessive aggravation in my Achilles tendon, which is a limitation that I have been dealing with for well over two years now, I sought the opinions of multiple medical specialists. After much consideration and unanimous professional recommendations stating that my Achilles is in danger of rupturing, I have been advised that it would be in my best interest to undergo surgery as soon as possible in order to prevent a major injury. I would like to thank all of my fans for their continued support on my road to a full recovery and am looking forward to getting back on the field. "
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