Buffalo Bills DT Ed Oliver Arrested For DWI And Weapon Charge In Houston, Facing Possible Suspension

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver was arrested in Houston, Texas late Saturday on charges of DWI and illegally carrying a weapon, leaving him to face a possible NFL suspension.

Oliver’s arrest was first reported by the Montgomery County Police Reporter, which noted that police stopped his Ford pickup just after 9 p.m. on Saturday after someone called to report that he was failing to stay in his lane and driving dangerously in a construction zone.

The report said that police pulled over the truck and called a DWI officer after noting that the driver had an open beer between his legs and appeared nervous. The officer conducted a field sobriety test and determined that the driver was impaired — possibly by something other than alcohol. Oliver was taken to a nearby hospital for a mandatory blood draw and then taken to jail, the report added.

The report noted that officers found a pistol in Oliver’s vehicle after it was searched following his arrest. Oliver faces charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

Video posted by the outlet showed police shining a light into Oliver’s eyes and instructing him to walk along the side of the highway, which he did barefoot. The Bills player was seen being handcuffed at the end of the video.

Oliver is like to face discipline, though it is unclear just how much. As ESPN‘s Rich Cimini noted, the league’s alcohol policy calls for first-time offenders to face a minimum two-game suspension but the league can give additional discipline if Commissioner Roger Goodell determines there were aggravating circumstances — which he noted included “extreme intoxication, property damage or serious injury to the player or another party.” The league also has wide latitude when giving suspensions, handing them out even when players are not convicted of the charges they face.

As Syracuse.com reported, the team released a terse statement on Sunday morning that acknowledged Oliver’s arrest but did not offer comment.

“We are aware of the situation and we are gathering more information. We will have no further comment at this point,” the team said.

Oliver was the Bills‘ top choice in the 2019 NFL Draft, being taken with the No. 9 pick and quickly becoming a central part of a defense that helped lead the team to its second playoff berth in the last three years. He recorded 43 tackles, with five sacks and eight quarterback hits.

Oliver is a Houston native and played at the University of Houston before jumping to the NFL.