Andy

Levitre

Levitre said his body has broken down and will not allow him to continue playing -- he ended last season on injured reserve because of a triceps injury. A second-round pick by the Bills back in 2009, Levitre spent two years with the Titans before finishing his career with four seasons in Atlanta.

Levitre isn’t as big of a loss as he would have been in the past — he took a pay cut in March — but it’s still a major blow for a Falcons team that’s been bitten hard by the injury bug in the early going. The Falcons must now move forward with Wes Schweitzer as a starter. He was a liability in 2017. It’s bad news for the Falcons’ running game. Now 32, Levitre will be a free agent next offseason.

Both acquired in the second round of the 2009 draft, Byrd and Levitre emerged as nucleus players last season after disappointing sophomore seasons. They will be next on the docket after the front office extends Fred Jackson’s contract.

Starter Demetrius Bell is out and backup Chris Hairston is still battling a high ankle sprain. Levitre has been one of the league’s premier guards in the first half of the season, but this is going to be a major mismatch in DeMarcus Ware’s favor. Chad Rinehart will fill in at left guard.

Levitre is a natural guard that has also played tackle for the injury-ravaged Bills. But trying to fill in at center yesterday proved to be too tall of a task. He struggled so badly with shotgun snaps that Kraig Urbik had to come on at center and kick Levitre back to left guard. That’s the likely alignment going forward.

Wood needed help to get off the field and the extent of the damage is unknown. “I would doubt that he is ready for this week. It might happen, but I would doubt that he’s ready for this week,” said coach Chan Gailey. The loss of Wood would be a big blow to the Bills’ reeling offense. He’s been their anchor all year. Andy Levitre is Wood’s backup.

It’s a huge blow for the Bills’ banged up offensive line, as Wood has been the team’s best all-around lineman this season. A slumping Ryan Fitzpatrick must now devote time to developing chemistry with a new center instead of figuring out what’s wrong with the Bills’ passing game. Andy Levitre should start in Wood’s place, but has been filling in at left tackle the past few weeks with both Demetrius Bell and Chris Hairston sidelined.

Buffalo’s most versatile lineman has started 48 consecutive games heading into the final year of his rookie contract. After receiving a wake-up call in last year’s training camp, Levitre emerged as one of the NFL’s most effective guards in the first half of the season. He’s an important building block up front.

Byrd is entering the final year of his rookie deal, where he’ll earn just $615,000. Nix also hopes to lock up LG Andy Levitre and G/C Kraig Urbik. “We definitely want those guys back,” Nix said. “I think they want to be back and we want them back and when the time comes we’ll get started on it.” Deemed the Bills’ “best defensive player” in 2011 by respected beat writer Joe Buscaglia, Byrd graded out as Pro Football Focus’ third best safety in the league.

“He wasn’t coming back from anything,” coach Chan Gailey said Monday. “He just had something, a procedure, and I hate to use that word, he had something done on his knee. They injected it or they did something to it but he’s fine.” Levitre is just the latest Bills lineman to come down with injury, but unlike the majority of his teammates, he doesn’t appear poised to miss any time. Levitre has never missed a start since being the No. 51 pick of the 2009 draft.