Buffalo Bills place G Chris Williams on injured reserve

Guard Chris Williams signed a four-year, $13.5 million deal this spring as a free agent, but his first year with the Buffalo Bills is over after just three regular-season games.

The Buffalo Bills on Saturday placed guard Chris Williams on injured reserve, ending his season after just three games.

The move was announced on the team’s website.

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Williams, 29, signed a four-year, $13.5 million deal with the Bills as a free agent this spring, but was slowed by what the Bills say has become a chronic back injury since training camp.

Williams missed games in the preseason but returned to play the first three weeks of the regular season. However, he missed Buffalo’s last two games, including their win at Detroit on Sunday.

Fifth-round pick Cyril Richardson will continue to start at left guard in Williams’ place.

Williams was a first-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2008, taken 14th overall by the Chicago Bears.

Williams was cut by the Bears in October 2012 and signed with the St. Louis Rams, where he played the rest of that season and through 2013, starting all 16 games.

He missed time as a rookie because of a herniated disc and also missed seven games in 2011 because of a hamstring problem.

To take Williams’ place on the roster, the Bills signed safety Kenny Ladler from their practice squad, Ladler is an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt.