Bills’ Jackson avoids major injury, out of hospital

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Bills cornerback Dane Jackson has been released from the hospital after a neck injury, with the team saying that he suffered no major injury to his neck or spinal cord.

The cornerback was taken off the field in an ambulance during the Bills’ 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. He received a CT scan and an X-ray at the hospital and is undergoing further evaluation Tuesday.

Bills safety Micah Hyde also went to the hospital Monday night to be evaluated after suffering a neck injury in the third quarter. He was later released.

“We were kind of going back and forth last night, trying to really see if I should go over to the hospital,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday. ” [Bills head athletic trainer] Nate [Breske] didn’t think that that was going to be necessary from a timing standpoint. It seemed like they were going to get released, both of those guys, and they did, so I was happy to see smiles on their faces. … Nate sent me a picture of them as I was heading home.”

Jackson was transported to Erie County Medical Center after teammate Tremaine Edmunds inadvertently made contact with Jackson’s head/neck area while trying to assist in tackling receiver Treylon Burks in the last minute of the second quarter.

“Definitely a tough play. Just kind of saw the receiver still up, just trying to finish the play,” Edmunds said. “A situation that, obviously, I didn’t do intentionally. I would never try to do something like that to my teammate, but like I said … the receiver was still up, I was just trying to finish him to the ground, and unfortunately, I end up hitting Dane.”

Edmunds noted that Jackson gave a thumbs-up before leaving the stadium.

The entire Bills team came off the sideline to check on Jackson as he was eventually placed on a stretcher and taken off the field. The game was paused for about 10 minutes while Jackson was tended to.

McDermott had a chance to speak with Jackson in the stadium tunnel at halftime before Jackson was taken to the hospital. He also spoke to Jackson at the team’s facility Tuesday.

“We had a good conversation downstairs in the training room,” McDermott said of Jackson. “And again, like I said, he seems to be in good spirits.”

Safety Damar Hamlin, a close friend and former college teammate of Jackson’s, was consoled on the sideline by linebacker Tyrel Dodson as emotions ran high.

“It felt terrible. It felt like one of my brothers was down,” Hamlin said. “And with the severity of how it happened, it just made it even more extreme, because it didn’t seem like just [a] regular injury. But once I talked to [Jackson], once he told me he was good on the field — we got that kind of bond where he’s going to let me know if something up, so, I’m praying for him, and I know he’ll be OK.”

Jackson, a 2020 seventh-round pick out of the Pittsburgh, has been the Bills’ No. 1 cornerback while Tre’Davious White remains on the reserve/PUP list recovering from a torn ACL. He had two tackles before exiting the game and had his second career interception in the Bills’ season opening win against the Rams. Jackson, 25, started six regular-season games and two playoff games in place of White last year.

Rookie cornerbacks Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam have been rotating opposite Jackson and both played when he exited the game.

“To know that he’s been released from the hospital, prayers up for him and his family,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said on First Take. “As a team, we’re gonna get behind him. We’re going to do it for 30. That’s one of our guys. We love him, and we just gotta put football to the side sometimes and realize that it’s bigger than that. A guy is actually injured and it’s his life. Just sending him a lot of love and a lot of good energy.”

McDermott said further injury news will be known and shared Wednesday as the team prepares to face the Miami Dolphins (2-0). Starting wide receiver Gabe Davis (ankle) and defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle), missed the game vs. the Titans.