The Buffalo Bills have now lost two consecutive games following a brilliant four-game winning streak to open the 2020 NFL season. The one common theme in those two games is that starting left guard Quinton Spain has been inactive due to a foot injury.
We now have an update on the veteran offensive lineman. It’s rather shocking stuff coming from Buffalo.
Buffalo Bills news: Starting guard Quinton Spain released
This comes completely out of left field. First off, one might think that there’d be a trade market for the 29-year-old Spain. After all, he’s started 66 of 70 games in which he’s appeared since he entered the league back in 2015 out of West Virginia.
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Buffalo’s decision to release the lineman also coincides with former Bills first-round pick Cody Ford being sidelined to injury. It leaves a massive hole along the interior of Buffalo’s offensive line.
Signed to a three-year, $15 million extension back in March, the Bills also took a $4.5 million dead cap hit by releasing Spain. That adds another layer to the shock factor of Wednesday’s news.
One has to wonder whether something happened behind the scenes in Buffalo. The release of Spain makes no practical sense from a football perspective.
The Bills sit at 4-2 heading into their Week 7 matchup against the hapless New York Jets. After that, Buffalo’s road to a potential AFC East title becomes much more difficult.
Buffalo Bills schedule
- AT- New York Jets (0-6)
- VS- New England Patriots (2-3)
- VS- Seattle Seahawks (5-0)
- AT- Arizona Cardinals (4-2)
- VS- Los Angeles Chargers (1-4)
- AT- San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
- VS- Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0)
Could a move for a proven guard be in the cards for the Bills ahead of the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline? The release of Spain might suggest this will be the case.
Regardless, it was a surprising move from one of the NFL’s best teams.