Getty Bills center Mitch Morse exits Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York
While Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen played through a UCL sprain last season, and safety Jordan Poyer battled through a rib injury, famously driving 15 hours to Kansas City in Week 6 because he wasn’t medically cleared to fly, little did we know, the team’s starting center, Mitch Morse, was pushing through serious pain, as well.
Morse, arguably the most important person on the Bills’ offensive line, revealed to The Buffalo News that he underwent two surgeries this offseason to fix an elbow injury suffered in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans and an ankle injury sustained in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.
Morse, who signed a two-year, $19.5 million extension with Buffalo last offseason, only missed one game for each injury but remained on the injury report for several weeks. The team captain first dealt with the elbow injury once the 2022 NFL season came to a close.
“They let the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) heal itself because I’m not throwing anything – I’m just snapping it,” he said. “The bone fragments from the actual hit itself – there were chips around, so they just went in there and cleaned it out.”
Surgery on his ankle came next. “It just didn’t get better,” Morse explained. “I’ve rolled my ankle a thousand times and this one, it just would not go away. It got to the point (health-wise), where I could play, but it didn’t go away (completely). They went in there and found a few bone spurs and floating bodies – bone chips and cartilage – they took out and that was very nice.”
Mitch Morse Suffered His 6th Recorded Concussion in Week 15
Learning Mose played through floating bone chips in his elbow and ankle is even more impressive considering those weren’t his only injuries. The 31-year-old veteran suffered a concussion during Buffalo’s 32-29 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 15. Morse’s head injury was deeply concerning because it was his sixth recorded concussion since he entered the NFL.
While fans worried this could lead to an early retirement, Morse, a former second-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft, who spent the first four years of his career with the Chiefs, was cleared from concussion protocol after just one week. As Morse prepares to enter his ninth year in the NFL, he’s learned to absorb the benefits when forced to sit on the sidelines. During OTAs in June, Morse was a spectator while he recovered from his surgeries.
“You don’t like seeing people do your job,” Morse told The Buffalo News. “As good as it is to get the opportunity to rest your body, it is nice to get physical reps at times. Some of the best offseasons I’ve gotten in regard to conceptually understanding (the offense) have been when I’ve been out with an injury.”
Mitch Morse Expressed Concern Over His Super Bowl Window Closing
While quarterback Josh Allen has mentioned that he’s “never been more focused or locked in on football” this offseason, Morse told reporters at the conclusion of mandatory minicamp on June 14 that he shares that same level of dedication.
“I think in any not only personal career but as a franchise, there’s a window of opportunity and our chances are fleeting, no matter how big the window or small the window is, you never quite when it can end or when that opportunity is going to arise again,” Morse said.
“We’ve had some great fortune these past few years but when is that going to dry up? Whether it be from injuries, turnover, age. I mean, I feel it going into year 9. How may more opportunities do I have left personally? Selfishly? So, I think everyone is intrinsically having that talk to themselves. We’re just marching along and trying to advantage possible.”
After learning what Morse has been personally dealing with the offseason, his comments about the Stefon Diggs situation make even more sense. “I don’t want to speculate on what’s going on in the building or out of the building without us knowing what’s going on… I love Stefon Diggs, but I got s*** to do! I gotta come out here and do my job.”
