Former Bucs' Wide Receiver Taken Off Life Support, Now Breathing on His Own

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, Mike Williams, was critically injured in a construction accident last week.

As if the incident itself wasn't unfortunate enough, Jon Scott, a Buffalo Bills beat reporter for Spectrum News, falsely reported that Mike Williams had died from his injuries.

Multiple sources have confirmed to me that former Syracuse and #Bills WR Mike Williams has passed away following injuries suffered during an accident while working at a construction site.

The Buffalo native was 36 years old.
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) September 6, 2023

Condolences immediately came pouring in from all angles, with fans, teammates, coaches, and other people offering prayers and well wishes to the family.

However, Williams did not die from his injuries. The former Bucs' receiver was in fact alive, but in critical condition, receiving treatment at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida.

I just got off the phone with Mike Williams’ agent. He tells me the former NFL wide receiver HAS NOT passed away.

Williams was involved in a “construction accident,” and is in a Tampa-area hospital, according to his agent.
— Michael Schwartz (@MSchwartzTV) September 6, 2023

Now, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Times, almost a week after the incident occurred, Mike Williams has been taken off life support and is breathing under his own power.

Mike Williams removed from life support, breathing on his own https://t.co/Hl20mB53oQ
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 9, 2023

Although it sounds like good news on the surface, the unfortunate reality of the situation is still extremely bleak. According to Tierney Lyle (the mother of Williams' 8-year old daughter), and his agent, Hadley Engelhard, despite being taken off of a ventilator, there has still been no major change to his overall condition.

In his article, Stroud also reports that Williams was partially paralyzed from the accident, but he continues to fight for his life.

Although it feels like ages ago that Mike Williams was scoring touchdowns at Raymond James Stadium as a standout rookie for the Buccaneers, he's still just 36 years old.

Over his 5-years in the NFL, Williams played for the Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills, before playing his final game in 2014. Williams amassed an impressive 26 touchdowns during that time.

It goes without saying that this is a tragic situation that will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the lives of many people, especially Mike Williams and his family. Hopefully, despite no major improvements to his condition at this time, Williams will eventually be able to recover enough to live a normal life again.

We'll continue to monitor the situation closely.

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