The Buffalo Bills did the inevitable Tuesday, placing injured tight end Kevin Everett on the waived/failed physical list, a formality that officially ends Everett's NFL career, and allows him to pursue long term disability benefits from the National Football League.

With the release, it allows Everett to apply for a long term disability payment of $224,000 a year for the life span of the injury, which of course, would be the rest of his life.  Everett suffered a cervical spine injury on Opening Day 2007 at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the Denver Broncos, when he tackled returner Domenik Hixon on the second half kickoff.  An injured player on an active roster is ineligible to pursue such financial renumerations. 

Everett did receive his full salary of $435,000 last season, his third full season in the NFL.  By completing three full seasons as an active player it also makes him eligible for a full NFL pension.  Based on his term of service in the league, he is eligible to receive a payment of $1,410 per month, and is also eligible to claim a one time payment of $75,000 as part of the Player Health Reimbursement Plan. 

Everett has since recovered to the point of walking on his own, and was released from a Houston rehabilitation center back in November.  He visited with the team before the home finale against the New York Giants, and also watched the Super Bowl with commissioner Roger Goodell. 

The team released the following statement regarding the move:

"Today we are faced with the difficult decision to place Kevin on the waived/failed physical list, making him eligible to apply for any benefits due him," the team said. "We had numerous discussions with the league in dealing with this process to assist him in the best way possible. Kevin will always remain a Buffalo Bill in the same way that Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and so many others before him are held in the highest regard by our franchise."

The injury, emergency surgery and long term recovery has been a sobering experience, a jarring reality as to how fragile not just life, but the career of an athlete truly is.  Everett played two seasons at the University of Miami, grabbing 23 balls for 310 yards in 2004.  He was drafted in the third round, 86th overall in the 2005 draft, to try and fill the void the Bills had at tight end.  He suffered a torn knee ligament on the first day of minicamp that season, and was placed on injured reserve in November of 2005, after being placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in August. 

He played in all sixteen games in 2006, mainly on special teams, though he did start four games at tight end and even caught his first NFL pass, a deflected ball for a one yard gain on October 1 of that season.  He managed to grab a three yard reception in the first half of the opener before the fateful injury.  In a twist of irony, when Everett made his first public appearance, walking on the same turf at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Domenik Hixon was there as a member of the Giants, after being cut by Denver earlier in the season.

Everett had surgery last month to alleviate pain in his neck as an after effect of the earlier injury.  He has started a foundation for spinal cord injury research now, and hopefully that helps out other people who may sustain such injuries. 

I wish Kevin the best of luck in his future endeavors, the same as the Bills organization and fans of the game everywhere have in the eight months since the injury.  Everett's story has been the most inspiring story in pro football since the entire Pat Tillman story when he walked away from a big free agent contract to join the Army Rangers.

Best wishes, Kevin.  All your fans, and even non football fans around the world, support you and have nothing but positive thoughts.  Keep fighting and moving ahead with everything you have planned.