By Tim Graham
Mario Williams played the first seven games of the season with a torn ligament in his left wrist, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported today.
Schefter cited an unnamed team source in his report. If true, then Bills fans should be even more upset with how the organization handled the situation.
Dr. Thomas Hunt, a hand specialist in Birmingham, Ala., performed Williams' surgery last week, although the Bills refused to refer to it as anything other than a "procedure."
It's hard to believe the Bills' medical staff wouldn't be aware their $100 million pass-rusher had a torn ligament, yet Bills coach Chan Gailey claimed Williams' injury was too minor to include him on the injury report because he didn't miss any practices and never was in doubt for games.
The NFL fined the Bills $20,000 for failing to follow policies on reporting injuries, and in announcing the sanction called Williams' injury a sprain.
Williams also described the "procedure" as cleaning out the wrist. Repairing a torn ligament sounds more than custodial.
When it comes to the Bills and how they report their injuries, I have no idea what to accept as true anymore. Several of Ryan Fitzpatrick's teammates have mentioned the injured ribs he played with last year, but he never appeared on an injury report.
Gailey told me last month in Phoenix, while addressing Mark Anderson's knee injury, he deliberately plays dumb to avoid revealing too much information.
"I just don't want to tell you," Gailey said. "That's the bottom line. I know what it is. But it's better to be vague."
