Josh Allen, Damar Hamlin, and other Bills stars react to teammate’s surprise retirement

The Buffalo Bills will enter the 2025 season having lost at least two men to retirement. Micah Hyde left the sport after the team's loss in the AFC Championship Game, and now he is joined by Tommy Doyle.

The four-year offensive tackle revealed his decision on Valentine's Day, citing multiple injuries:

Explaining further to reporter Maddy Glab, he said:

"Football is something that I've loved and put my life into. And I put a lot of time, effort and energy to try to get back on the field. But ultimately, that's really not the plan God has for me, and I know that to be true. I feel that this is the time to announce it and move on."

Multiple teammates, led by quarterback Josh Allen and safety Damar Hamlin, reacted to the news of Doyle's retirement:

Josh Allen reacts to Tommy Doyle's retirement

Damar Hamlin reacts to Tommy Doyle's retirement

Terrel Bernard reacts to Tommy Doyle's retirement

Dalton Kincaid

Sedrick Van Pran reacts to Tommy Doyle's retirement

Even the Bills organization reacted:

The Buffalo Bills organization reacts to Tommy Doyle's retirement

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A brief overview of ex-Bills OT Tommy Doyle's career

Born and raised in Edina, Minnesota, Tommy Doyle was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. In 2015, he committed to Miami (OH), where he was an All-MAC (Mid-American Conference) First-teamer in his final two seasons.

He was drafted in the fifth round by the Bills in 2021 and played 11 games as a backup. His biggest highlight came in the Wild Card Round, where caught a touchdown pass from Josh Allen near the end of a 47-17 rout of the New England Patriots:

But that would prove to be the apex of his career. In Week 3 of the 2022 season against the Miami Dolphins, Doyle tore his right ACL. Then just as he seemed to be on the mend, he severley hurt his left leg in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Reflecting on the episode on Friday, he told Maddy Glab:

"I was really battling and competing and working to come back from that (ACL) injury, only to be kind of struck with an even more disastrous injury. But at the end of the day, there was a lot of negative emotions and anger."

A diagnosis also revealed nerve damage, and he did not play in 2023. The pain persisted into 2024 and put him on IR for that season, leading to his decision.

Despite spending most of his career on injured reserve, Doyle will still be eligible for a pension from the league.