Eric Wood, a center for the Buffalo Bills, announced Friday on Twitter that he will retire from football because of a neck injury that was found during a season-end physical examination by the team doctor.
Wood tweeted that the consultation with several physicians resulted in his being told he would not be cleared to play football even if he had surgery or other treatment.
In a subsequent tweet, Wood thanked fans for their thoughts and prayers, and said he would explain his condition at a planned Monday press conference.
Wood’s injury was at least partly due to wear and tear, but a source told ESPN it was a “complicated medical condition.”
Wood, 31, played for the Bills his entire nine-year NFL career and was the only offensive team member in 2017 who was on the field for every snap, ESPN noted. He was a first-round draft pick in 2009 and started in all 120 games he has played in. Wood also has been a team captain.
“[Eric] is doing a great job of staying positive,” teammate Richie Incognito told NFL Network. “He has my support. He’s a brother to me. I love him. I know he’ll transition to whatever he wants to do and he’ll be successful at it.”
Incognito also told ESPN that Wood’s retirement was a “huge loss” to the team and that Wood had been “instrumental in all my success I’ve had the last couple years.”
Wood is under contract with the Bills until 2019 and is guaranteed $4.8 million per year even if he's injured, NFL Network reported.
Fans responded with more than 1,000 supportive messages to Wood’s tweet.
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