Bills mourn death of Ed Oliver’s young son

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver is mourning the death of his 2-year-old son, a loss the team called “an unthinkable tragedy” as it publicly offered support to the player and his family Saturday.

“On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said in a statement. “It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.”

The Bills did not disclose the cause of death. ESPN reported that Oliver has asked for privacy and prayers while mourning his son, who was also named Ed. The Guardian identified the child as Ed Jr.

A person briefed on what happened told The Associated Press that the toddler was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in a residential pool in Harris County, Texas, on June 28. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team and player have not publicly released those details.

Authorities in Harris County reported a toddler drowning that day in a neighborhood north of Houston, though they did not name the child or provide an age in their public notice. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a report of a toddler found unresponsive in a swimming pool in the 500 block of Lago Trace Drive, NBC News reported. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at the time that the child was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

“This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the toddler’s family during this incredibly difficult time. The investigation is ongoing,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post that evening.

NBC News reported that property records match the area of the drowning report to where Oliver has a listed address. NBC said it had reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Oliver’s representatives for comment. A sheriff’s official told The Associated Press on Saturday that a report was not immediately available.

Oliver, 28, is from Houston and played college football for the Houston Cougars before the Bills selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. He is entering his eighth season with Buffalo.

Oliver reported to training camp on time last month and played with the starters in Buffalo’s preseason-opening 29-14 win over the Carolina Panthers last weekend. He has not practiced this week because of an undisclosed injury and was not in Cleveland for the Bills’ preseason game Saturday.