Josh Allen proved yet again that he is a team player first, both on and off the field. This time he came to support veteran defensive lineman Ed Oliver, who is going through a personal tragedy.
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Oliver’s 2-year-old son passed away this June, but the news was not broken by Oliver or the family. The development somehow got to the media, including houses like TMZ. Allen voiced his displeasure at how the incident was treated, because even the team chose to wait for Oliver to break the news.
“How it came out makes me very, very sad and angry at the same time,” said Allen, per Matt Parrino of NewYorkUpstate.com. “What we’ve been doing is giving him his space and time, but at the same time being around him, loving up on him, but not trying to do anything to reopen that. … just guys being around him and putting their hand on him and not having to say too much. But I got your back.”
Local officials said deputies responded to an active life-in-danger call at Oliver’s home on June 28. When they arrived, the boy’s parents told them they had discovered him unresponsive in the swimming pool. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son,” Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane shared in an official statement. “It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.
“Ever since I found out the news, I can’t fathom what he’s going through,” head coach Joe Brady said. “As a coach and a father, there really aren’t words to describe it. It’s all about us loving him and giving him the privacy that he deserves.
“It’s hard when I see him. I don’t have the words, but all I can do is support him in whatever way he needs.”
Ed Oliver and his family asked for “privacy and prayers at this very difficult time,” per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Oliver did not attend the Bills preseason clash with the Browns, but he played in the first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. He also reported to training camp on time, despite having lost his son not much earlier.
Ed Oliver was reported to be dealing with an unknown injury recently and he was absent from recent practices.
The Bills family is standing by their veteran as he navigates an extremely tough time. Ed Oliver was drafted by the Bills in 2019 and has since become a centerpiece of the defensive line.