TORONTO -- Buffalo Bills starting safety Jairus Byrd is out indefinitely and could miss the season opener after having surgery to repair a groin injury for the third time in the last 13 months.
Bills coach Chan Gailey announced the news after the team arrived in Toronto on Wednesday, one day before it faces the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason game. Gailey said it's unclear whether Byrd will be ready to play Sept. 12 when the Bills open the season against the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins.
"It looks like he's going to be out for a while," Gailey said. "We're hoping first game, but it may be not."
Gailey said the injury is related to the groin ailment that ended Byrd's rookie season. Byrd had surgery to repair the injury this past offseason. And that followed an operation he had to repair a sports hernia last summer, which forced him to miss the first three weeks of training camp.
Gailey said Byrd's groin had been bothering him during training camp, and it grew worse after practice Monday night. Byrd was absent from practice Tuesday.
Byrd is coming off a solid 2009 season, his first in the NFL. The second-round draft pick out of Oregon finished tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions despite playing in just 14 games. Byrd also set franchise records with an interception in five consecutive games and most interceptions by a rookie.
Byrd's performance led to him becoming the first Bills safety to earn a Pro Bowl selection in his rookie year.
Updating other injuries, Gailey said the right leg injury sustained by rookie wide receiver David Nelson in practice Tuesday wasn't as bad as initially feared. Gailey said it's possible that Nelson could play in the next preseason game Aug. 28 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Nelson had to be carted off the field during practice after he twisted his right ankle while making a catch.
Gailey said it's likely that starting left tackle Demetrius Bell and starting right guard Eric Wood will play Thursday. Both have spent the offseason recovering from leg injuries and were held out of Buffalo's preseason opener at Washington last week.
It's also likely that veteran linebackers Paul Posluszny and Chris Kelsay will play against the Colts. Posluszny began practicing two weeks ago after having groin surgery last month, and Kelsay missed a few weeks of training camp because of a shoulder injury.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
