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NFL notebook: Bills C Wood retires due to neck injury

[January 27, 2018] Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood will formally announce his abrupt retirement from the NFL on Monday because of a neck injury.

"I was diagnosed with a neck injury as part of my season-ending physical with the Bills," Wood announced via Twitter on Friday. "After consultation with Dr. Cappuccino and other physicians, I was informed that I was no longer cleared to play football, even with surgery or further treatment."

Wood played every offensive snap for the Bills in 2017 and is one season into the two-year contract extension he signed last offseason worth up to $21.3 million.

Wood, 31, was a first-round pick in the 2009 draft. He spent his entire nine-year career with the Bills.

--New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur made it clear during his introductory press conference that he "can't wait to get to work" with veteran quarterback Eli Manning.

Shurmur, who served as the Minnesota Vikings' offensive coordinator this season, gave his evaluation of the 37-year-old Manning.

"I think he's got years left -- how many, I don't know," Shurmur said of the two-time Super Bowl champion.

--Earl Thomas has one season left on the four-year, $40 million extension he signed with the Seattle Seahawks after the 2013 campaign. The 28-year-old tells ESPN he's contemplating holding out if a new deal isn't reached this offseason.

"I want to finish my career there," Thomas said after Thursday's Pro Bowl practice in Orlando, Fla. "I definitely don't see myself going out there not signed. But I'm going to continue to work my butt off and enjoy this process at the Pro Bowl.

"As far as my future in Seattle, I think if they want me, you know, money talks. We'll get something accomplished. Other than that, I'm just taking it one day at a time."

--The NFL says players were diagnosed with concussions 281 times during the 2017 season, a new high since the league began tracking concussions consistently and sharing the data in 2012.

The total, which includes the preseason and regular season, eclipses the previous high of 275 in 2015.

"Certainly, we're disappointed that the concussion numbers are up," Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, said on a conference call. "It is something which challenges us now to roll up our sleeves and work hard to see that number go down. ... We take this as a challenge, because we're not going to be satisfied until we drive that number much lower."

--In addition to tearing the ACL in his left knee against the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz revealed to reporters that he also tore the LCL in his same knee during the incident.

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Speaking to the media for the first time since suffering the injury in Week 14, Wentz said he doesn't expect the additional ailment to impact his recovery timetable. The 25-year-old said he is aiming to be on the field for the Eagles' regular-season opener in 2018.

"My goal is to be out there Week 1. The timetable stuff, I wish I knew just as much as you guys wish you knew," Wentz said. "It's just such a fluid process, and we'll just see what happens."

--Eagles defensive tackle Tim Jernigan missed practice Friday with an illness in preparation for his team's Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.

The exact nature of Jernigan's illness was not announced. In 15 regular-season games in 2017, he made 29 tackles and had 2.5 sacks.

In addition, Eagles running back Jay Ajayi (ankle) was listed as limited on the injury report. He also was limited in Thursday's practice.

--Teammates at the Pro Bowl, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams and Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis told ESPN that they've put the Davis hit that resulted in an Adams concussion behind them.

Adams said Thursday that Davis sought him out the day NFC players arrived for the event in order to offer an in-person apology.

"He came and hollered at me the first day," Adams told ESPN. "It happened about a little over a month ago now so we kind of settled it. I'm trying to let bygones be bygones."

--The Panthers hired Air Force defensive coordinator Steve Russ as their linebackers coach, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Russ, 45, will replace Al Holcomb, who went to Arizona to be the defensive coordinator on new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks' staff. Wilks, who was the Panthers' defensive coordinator, was named head coach of the Cardinals on Monday.

The Panthers promoted line coach Eric Washington to replace Wilks as DC on Monday.

--Field Level Media

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