Jason Pierre-Paul's season may be over before it even starts.
The Buccanneers defensive lineman was in a single-car accident last week, and according to ESPN, it is believed he may have suffered a neck injury which could end his season. The belief is he will need surgery for a fractured neck.
Pierre-Paul will visit neck specialists this week to determine whether his season is truly over, according to the report.
Tampa DE Jason Pierre Paul suffered a potential season-ending fractured neck injury in a single-car accident last week in south Florida, league sources tell ESPN. Pierre-Paul will visit neck specialists this week to get their opinions to see if there’s hope to save this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2019
The 30-year-old was admitted to a hospital in Broward County, Florida, last Thursday after getting into a car accident around 5 a.m. ET.
There was one other passenger in the car, but it is unclear if the individual suffered injuries.
Pierre-Paul was released from the hospital over the weekend and the Buccaneers were doing further evaluations to discover the extent of his injuries.
"We have been informed that Jason was involved in a one-car accident early this morning in South Florida in which he was not cited," Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. "We know that he was evaluated at a local hospital and has since been released. Our immediate concern is for the safety and well-being of Jason and his passenger. We have been in contact with Jason and will be getting him further evaluated by our medical staff in the near future."
Pierre-Paul is going into his second season with the Buccaneers.
He led Tampa Bay with 12 1/2 sacks in 2018.
Update: The Buccaneers released a statement addressing the report.
"As we stated last week following the news of Jason’s auto accident, our immediate concern was for both Jason and his passenger," Licht wrote. "While Jason was treated and released in south Florida the same day of the accident, we wanted to ensure that our medical team had an opportunity to perform a thorough evaluation here in Tampa, and that process is currently ongoing.”