Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins held back nothing on Tuesday when he unloaded on fans who have been critical of him missing time due to injuries in a since-deleted Instagram comment.
Watkins, who has missed three of Buffalo’s last four games due to calf and ankle ailments, wrote off his critics as “losers” and told them to “continue working y’all little jobs for the rest of y’all lives”.
“To all the people that have a problem with me being injured you guys go out there and play this sport it’s a 100% injury rate,” Watkins wrote. “I’m not first or last person that’s gone be injured difference from me and you guys y’all mad and I’m not get a life and goto work stop worrying about my job because I’m good on this end and forever will be losers most of you just wish to be in this position so continue working y’all little jobs for the rest of y’all lives since everyone once a response here go one have a blessed day.”
Watkins later posted, then deleted, a clarification on Twitter: “Message wasn’t for fans for whomever have a problem with athletes being injured.”
The Bills made Watkins the No4 overall pick in last year’s draft after trading away a pair of first-round choices to move up in the order. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth a total of $19.9m, including a $12.8m signing bonus.
The former Clemson star appeared in all 16 games in his debut season, catching six touchdowns, setting franchise rookie records for receptions (65) and receiving yards (982) and playing through broken ribs and a hip injury that required off-season surgery.
But this year Watkins has caught only 11 passes for 147 yards, prompting worries of a sophomore slump. He made headlines two weeks ago when he complained he wasn’t getting enough touches in Buffalo’s struggling offense.
The Bills, currently on their bye week after playing in London on Sunday, return against the Miami Dolphins on 8 November.
