Sources: JPP has fractured neck, may miss ’19
Adam Schefter reports that Jason Pierre-Paul is likely to need surgery after fracturing his neck in a car crash and may miss the 2019 season. (1:50)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul suffered a potentially season-ending fractured neck in a single-car crash last week in South Florida, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
Pierre-Paul, 30, will likely need surgery, a source told Schefter. He will be visiting with neck specialists at some point this week to get their opinions, with the hope that a portion of this season can be saved.
“As we stated last week following the news of Jason’s auto accident, our immediate concern was for both Jason and his passenger,” general manager Jason Licht said in a statement Tuesday. “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.”
The crash occurred early Thursday morning in Broward County. Pierre-Paul sought medical attention at a local hospital and was released. He was not cited for the crash.
Pierre-Paul hasn’t attended any of the voluntary workouts that the Buccaneers have held this offseason under new coach Bruce Arians.
The Bucs didn’t prioritize defensive line in the draft, partly because they were counting on Pierre-Paul, who had 12.5 sacks last season — the first time a Tampa Bay player had reached double-digit sacks since Simeon Rice in 2005.
To make matters worse, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has not been present for the first month of the offseason program due to team concerns over his $13 million price tag and the fact that the Bucs currently have less than $2 million in salary-cap space. There had been widespread speculation that the Bucs were attempting to trade McCoy — with the feeling that the relationship may be beyond repair — but at this point, they may need to make amends for the sake of continuity.
Prior to being traded to the Bucs before last season, Pierre-Paul, a 2010 first-round pick, had an up-and-down run with the New York Giants. He had 16.5 sacks and helped them to a Super Bowl victory during the 2011 season. He made a pair of Pro Bowls and later returned to play at a high level after his career seemed to be in jeopardy following a 2015 Fourth of July fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger and parts of several others.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine contributed to this report.