Agent of injured Bills TE: 'Hopefully, (he'll) be able to walk again'

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills reserve tight end Kevin Everett had surgery Sunday after injuring his spine on a kickoff against the Denver Broncos, and there is concern about whether he will be able to walk again.

"He's had some sparse movement," Everett's agent Brian Overstreet told the Associated Press in a phone interview late Sunday.

Bills tight end Kevin Everett is taken off the field after injuring his spine. (AP)

"The next couple of days is going to be critical," said Overstreet, responding to a question about paralysis. "Our concern is for him to come out of this healthy and, hopefully, be able to walk again."

Overstreet said Everett came out of a "lengthy surgery" Sunday evening and the plan was for his mother, Patricia Dugas, to arrive from Texas on Monday.

Everett fell to the ground and never moved after a helmet-to-helmet hit when he tackled Denver's Domenik Hixon during a kickoff to open the second half. Everett was placed on a backboard with his head and body immobilized, and carefully loaded into an ambulance at the Broncos 30.

Coach Dick Jauron said immediately following the game that the player sustained a cervical spine injury, but wouldn't discuss the severity of the injury.

Also, starting free safety Ko Simpson is out indefinitely after breaking his left ankle. Starting cornerback Jason Webster is out indefinitely after breaking his forearm in the fourth quarter. And Coy Wire, who was filling in for injured starter Keith Ellison, sprained his knee in the first quarter.

Washington right tackle Jon Jansen could be out for the year after breaking his right ankle in the second quarter.

Jansen was hurt when he was sandwiched between defensive end Matt Roth and linebacker Zach Thomas, who rolled onto Jansen's legs while sacking Jason Campbell. Jansen immediately yanked off his helmet and grabbed his face in agony as his teammates quickly surrounded him.

The New York Giants lost their top defensive player, end Osi Umenyiora, and their new starting running back, Brandon Jacobs, to knee injuries early in the opener against Dallas.

Umenyiora landed awkwardly while making a tackle on the Giants' first defensive stand. Team officials said X-rays showed no break, but they were planning on getting further tests done upon returning to New York. Jacobs sprained a knee in the second quarter and was ruled out, too.

Dallas also lost nose tackle Jason Ferguson to an elbow injury in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia and running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams left the game against Seattle in the third quarter.