Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul suffered what is potentially a season-ending neck injury during a car accident last week in Florida, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Schefter adds that Pierre-Paul will visit neck specialists this week to see if there is any hope of him playing in 2019.
Pierre-Paul is coming off a terrific 2018 campaign in which he racked up 58 tackles, 12.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his first season with the Buccaneers after coming over in a trade with the New York Giants.
It marked the first time since 2014 he registered double-digit sacks in a season.
The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of South Florida, was originally selected by the Giants in the first round (15th pick overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.
He played in all 16 games during his rookie campaign, finishing with 22 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a couple of forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and six passes defended.
Pierre-Paul then broke out in a major way in his second season, totaling 93 tackles, 16.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and seven passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and First-Team All-Pro honors. Most importantly, he helped lead New York to a Super Bowl title.
He then made another Pro Bowl in 2012 after recording 66 tackles, 6.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.
Since then, it has been a roller-coaster ride for Pierre-Paul, with the low point of his career coming during the summer of 2015 when he lost his right index finger in a fireworks accident.
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