Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen stated he was "very sad and angry" regarding the way news of teammate Ed Oliver's 2-year-old son's death was leaked. Allen expressed frustration that Oliver was not able to announce the tragic news on his own terms.
"First off, I want to say thank you to the ones that knew about it and allowed him to have his moment and his time," Allen said Saturday, according to The Athletic's Tim Graham. "It’s very sad in how it came out. It makes me very sad and angry at the same time."
Allen emphasized the team's support for Oliver, stating, "Obviously, very unfortunate what happened and as a teammate of him, as someone in this locker room, all we can do is love on him. There’s nothing that you can say to make the situation any better except being there in whatever ways he needs."
The news of the child's death, which occurred on June 28, was broken by TMZ Sports on Saturday morning. Rumors had circulated on social media the previous night after controversial podcaster Tony Farmer reportedly leaked the information.
According to both Allen and Bills head coach Joe Brady, many Bills reporters were aware of the death since it happened but withheld the information out of respect for Oliver and his family. ESPN reported that the Bills organization had been aware of the death since June and was in agreement with Oliver on when and how to reveal the details.
The premature release of the information also sparked a discussion on journalistic ethics among reporters on social media. Bills beat reporter Matt Parrino posted, "As a father, I can’t imagine any feeling like what Ed Oliver must be going through after losing his son. As a human being, I can’t imagine what that family has endured. I’m both of those before I’m a journalist."
Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright wrote on X, "It’s a shame the team had to do this and [Ed] Oliver wasn’t allowed to grieve on his own timeline because an engagement Farmer disgustingly felt entitled to information about the death of a two-year-old."
The Buffalo Bills organization released an official statement Saturday morning. "On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son," said Bills general manager Brandon Beane. "It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss."