Bills’ Taylor Rapp taken off field in ambulance after scary collision vs. Jets
The Buffalo Bills have had another scary collision incident this week as they host the New York Jets. Safety Taylor Rapp and cornerback Taron Johnson both went down on the field following a helmet-crunching tackle on Jets running back Breece Hall. Though Hall walked away, Johnson needed extra attention and the Bills medical staff strapped Rapp to a backboard and loaded him in an ambulance.
Following safety Damar Hamlin‘s cardiac arrest last season, NFL fans know just how serious in-game injuries can get. Thankfully, Rapp was conscious and able to move his arms as he went into the ambulance.
The team ruled Rapp and Johnson out for the remainder of the game with neck and concussion concerns, respectively. On X, the team shared, “We’re all thinking of you, Taylor.”
The Bills lead the Jets 16-6 with time ticking down in the first half. Buffalo (5-5) is coming off of two close wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos. The team opted to fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey following the team’s 24-22 loss to the Broncos on Monday Night Football. Now filling in as his interim replacement is former LSU passing game coordinator and current Bills QB coach Joe Brady.
Bills lose two defensive backs in first half vs Jets
Rapp is a fifth-year player this year after spending his first four seasons with the L.A. Rams. He signed a one-year deal for $1.7 million with the Bills this offseason.
Rapp played an integral part in the Super Bowl victory for the Rams in 2021, recording seven tackles. The Washington product finished second on the team with 94 tackles in the regular season, to go along with a career-high four interceptions and six passes defended. He started in all 17 regular season games for the first time since entering the league in 2019.
The Rams selected him with a second-round pick out of Washington in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Taron Johnson, an undrafted free agent from Weber State, is in his sixth season in the league. He’s spent all six seasons with the Bills and has one more season left on his three-year, $24 million deal. Johnson is third on the Buffalo defense in tackles so far this season with 54 while Rapp has 25.