Losing is frustrating, but Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis took it too a new level on Sunday.
With a 31-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and with their second starting quarterback in as many weeks as rookie Josh Allen got the nod, the Buffalo Bills are 0-2 this season. Cornerback Vontae Davis was a healthy scratch for the season opener, but he suited up against the Chargers.
A 28-6 halftime deficit probably had quite a few Bills players looking inward for how they could be better. But Davis, apparently and quite literally, gave up and saw no way he could help the situation by being uniform for the second half.
After playing just five games for the Indianapolis Colts last year, and being waived in November as he faced groin surgery, Davis signed a one-year $5 million deal ($3.5 million guaranteed) with Buffalo in the offseason. His absence on the field in Week 1 was odd, to say the least, but he went to whole new level on Sunday.
Word is Vontae Davis put on his street clothes at half, said he was quitting and left the stadium, per another source https://t.co/spdxMWrNSd
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 16, 2018
Lorenzo Alexander said he was told Vontae Davis pulled himself out and retired at halftime. Said he hasn't seen anything like it going back to Pop Warner. "Completely disrespectful."
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 16, 2018
Kyle Williams on Vontae Davis quitting on the Bills at halftime: "I’ve never been around that. Never heard anything like that. I think the only thing to say is he’s where he needs to be right now."
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 16, 2018
It’s fine to be frustrated by losing, and giving an honest a self-appraisal of your performance if you weren’t up to par. But completely bailing on your teammates takes it to a different level, as pointed to by Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander’s reference to never seeing anything like that going back to Pop Warner.
Hours later, Davis announced his retirement on social media through a statement, explaining why he decided to walk away so abruptly. Weird day in Buffalo.