Josh Allen is very protective of his Buffalo Bills teammates. So, when a reporter published the news of the death of Ed Oliver‘s son without his or the club’s consent, Allen made sure to address the situation in front of the media.
The death of Ed Oliver’s two-year-old son did not come from either the Oliver family or the Bills, but from someone in the media prior to the Bills’ second preseason fixture against the Cleveland Browns. This development upset several Bills players, including Josh Allen.
It’s very sad in how [the news] came out. It makes me very sad and angry at the same time. It’s very unfortunate how it came about. I appreciate [those] that knew and didn’t want to bring it up. It’s no one’s place to really let that out there except him and his family’s when the time came for it, but we roll now and be there for him as teammates.
Josh Allen said via Bills beat reporter Matt Parrino
According to reports, Ed Oliver’s two-year-old son passed away from an accidental drowning on June 28, 2026. The incident took place in the evening at the Oliver family’s home in Huffman, Texas.
The Buffalo News reported,
The toddler was believed to be 2 years old, Detective Dustin Davis said in a briefing filmed by OnScene TV. The drowning occurred on the 500 block of Lago Trace Drive, and sheriff’s deputies responded at about 6:15 p.m., he said. The child was taken to a hospital [where he was pronounced dead].
On August 22, the Bills general manager Brandon Beane issued a statement:
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. It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.
Ed Oliver, a Marksville, Louisiana native, played college football for the Houston Cougars. The big defensive tackle was drafted 9th overall by the Bills in 2019. In 2023, Oliver signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Bills.
Last year, Oliver missed games four to six with an ankle injury. Upon his return in Week 8, the 28-year-old suffered a torn biceps tendon in his right arm. The Bills ruled him out for the rest of the year.
Over the seven years with the Bills, Ed Oliver has accumulated 243 combined tackles, 56 TFLs, 76 quarterback hits, 30 sacks, 14 passes defensed, 9 forced fumbles and one interception.
Oliver has been in a relationship with long-time partner Dymond Gladney, with whom he shares a daughter named Eva. The death of his two-year-old son has saddened the Bills.
There’s nothing that you can say to make the situation any better except being there for Ed in whatever way he needs.
Josh Allen said
The 2024 NFL MVP continued:
As a team, we are going to continue to love up on him. We want to rally around him to let him know that we have his back and we’re here for him however he needs us. But the way he has dealt with it has been unbelievable.
Neither Allen nor Oliver featured in the Bills’ preseason matchup against the Browns in Cleveland. Regardless, the Bills recorded a 31-7 victory on the night. Kyle Allen completed 10 of 12 passes and threw one touchdown, while Shane Buechele completed 5 passes for 111 yards and threw one TD. Rookie UDFA WR Ja’Mori Maclin caught two passes for 108 yards and scored his first career NFL touchdown.
The Bills head back to the Meadowlands for their final preseason game. They welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers at the new Highmark Stadium.