Buffalo Bills Are So Bad a Player Retired… at Halftime

Two quarters of watching the rookie quarterback was enough for cornerback Vontae Davis.

BUFFALO, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Vontae Davis #22 of the Buffalo Bills during pre-game warmups prior to the start of NFL game action against the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field on September 16, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Vontae Davis #22 of the Buffalo Bills during pre-game warmups prior to the start of NFL game action against the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field on September 16, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Getty Images

As shameful as their 31-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was on the field, something even more embarrassing happened to the Buffalo Bills off of it.

At halftime of the game,  veteran cornerback Vontae Davis – who had been playing in the game – abruptly called it a career and retired rather than take the field for the third quarter.

Davis, who signed a deal in October that included a guaranteed $2 million base salary and a $1.5 million signing bonus, apparently felt two quarters of watching rookie quarterback Josh Allen under center doing stuff like this was plenty.

With the Bills trailing 28-6 at the half, the 30-year-old cornerback left the team and did not return to the field or the sideline in Buffalo. That didn’t exactly endear himself to his now-former teammates.

“Never have seen it ever,”  linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said after the game. “Pop Warner, high school, college, pros. Never heard of it. Never seen it. And it’s just completely disrespectful to his teammates. … He didn’t say nothing to nobody. … I found out going into the second half of the game. They said he’s not coming out, he retired. That’s it.”

Following his abrupt retirement, Davis released a statement about what led to his decision.

While he didn’t mention the futility of Allen or the team in general, one has to think those factors played into his thinking.

“I don’t have nothing to say about Vontae,” Alexander added. “I’m going to give him a little bit more respect than he showed us today, as far as quitting on us in the middle of the game.”

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.