Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes revealed on social media this week that he played with torn ligaments in his wrist.
That has prompted an NFL investigation into whether the Bills violated the league policy on reporting injuries, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN reports.
The Bills did not list Hughes with a wrist injury at any time in the 2019 season. The team did list him as missing practice or as limited with a groin injury and for a veteran rest day at different times in the year, according to Louis-Jacques.
Coach Sean McDermott was asked at his season-ending news conference about why the Bills didn’t list Hughes with a wrist injury.
“He was on the injury report. It was not in relation to his wrist,” McDermott said, via Louis-Jacques. “He was on the injury report, I believe, at one point for his groin, and then another time just overall for veteran rest.”
Hughes has not missed a game in his seven seasons in Buffalo.
The NFL’s policy states “all players who have reportable injuries must be listed on the Practice Report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game.”
The NFL punished the Steelers for not listing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with an elbow injury before their Week Two game. The Steelers paid a $75,000 fine and coach Mike Tomlin a $25,000 fine.
Hughes made 4.5 sacks in the regular season and a career-best three in Saturday’s loss to the Texans in the wild-card round.