TAMPA, Fla. ? The hope for Bucs defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is that the neck fracture he sustained in a one-car accident May 2 "is one of those five- or six-month things," coach Bruce Arians said Friday.
That means under the best-case scenario, Pierre-Paul may not return to the field until late September or early October. If Pierre-Paul requires surgery, he likely would miss the season.
Arians said he has spoken to Pierre-Paul but had no further update on his condition.
"No, I think that's still ongoing and like (general manager) Jason (Licht) said, you know, we've got our fingers crossed and praying for him," Arians said. "It's very unfortunate. And all we can do is pray and hope for the best and hope it's one of those five- or six-month things and go from there."
Pierre-Paul, who led the Bucs with 12.5 sacks last season after being acquired in a trade with the New York Giants, lost control of his red Ferrari in wet conditions around 2:38 a.m. Sept. 2 and hit a concrete barrier on Interstate 95 near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Pierre-Paul can be heard telling the dispatcher on a 911 call to the Florida Highway Patrol that he was not injured but needed help removing his car.
Pierre-Paul 30, and his passenger, James Thompson, 31, were taken to Broward Health Medical Center around 3 a.m., the report says. The FHP report says Pierre-Paul's condition was "apparently normal" at the time of the crash.
But the Bucs had Pierre-Paul evaluated last week by specialists, who reportedly discovered a fracture in a neck vertebrae.
Arians said he told Pierre-Paul, "he has my prayers and just stay positive," he said.
Arians said the Bucs have not begun to make contingency plans if Pierre-Paul is unable to play this season.
"I don't know what the answer is yet, if he's going to play, if he's not going to play," Arians said. "We'll just practice with the guys we have. It's just like anybody else getting hurt, on the field or off the field. You march on."
