A report came out on the night of the 2016 NFL Draft that the Buffalo Bills first-round pick, rush linebacker Shaq Lawson, was pegged by some teams to require shoulder surgery at some point in his career. Lawson vehemently denied the report and said he would not need shoulder surgery.
As it turns out, Lawson is having shoulder surgery.
The Bills announced the news on Monday afternoon, and revealed that their first-round pick will be going under the knife on Tuesday, although no timetable for a return has been provided.
“The Buffalo Bills are taking measures to prevent the possibility of Shaq Lawson aggravating a pre-existing shoulder condition during the season," the Bills said through a statement. "While he could continue to play, the Bills medical staff has determined that surgery is the best course of action for the overall health of his shoulder moving forward."
The initial report said that some teams believed Lawson would be sidelined anywhere from four-to-six months. If that timetable is the correct one, that would keep Lawson away from the field for the start of the regular season, with a return date somewhere between mid-September and mid-November.
There was more speculation on the timetable once the news broke.
With surgery Tues, Shaq Lawson appears headed to the PUP list to start camp and potentially the regular season. Should correct it long-term
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 16, 2016
Bills announce top pick Shaq Lawson requires shoulder surgery and express optimism he is ready for Week 1. Surgery to take place tomorrow
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 16, 2016
Typically minimum 4 month recovery.
Definite PUP, hoping for quick recovery to make Week 1, possible to miss games. https://t.co/Qn4p2z3vcn— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) May 16, 2016
“I want to take this opportunity to commend Shaq Lawson and his representatives for putting the team first by having this surgery on his shoulder done now," GM Doug Whaley said. "By doing so, he’s forsaking personal goals to be 100 percent healthy when we will need him most during the regular season. Fans constantly hear us say that we want players with tremendous character who keep team goals ahead of personal ones and Shaq is a great example of this.”
