Local Texas authorities are sharing new details regarding the moments leading up to and immediately following the tragic drowning death of NFL player Ed Oliver’s toddler son, also named Ed.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to “an in-progress life-in-danger call” at the Buffalo Bills star’s Texas home on the evening of June 28. ESPN and TMZ were first to report the news.
According to local officials, first responders were told the 2-year-old child was found “unresponsive in the pool” by his parents. (Oliver also shares a daughter, Eva, with his longtime partner Dymond Gladney.)
Per authorities, the toddler was taken to a local Houston, Texas, hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:18 pm that evening. The sheriff’s office did not name Oliver in their statement. Us has reached out to a representative for the sheriff’s office for comment.
According to TMZ, the NFL player could be seen “speaking with law enforcement before breaking down in tears as he sat on the ground outside his home.” Us has reached out to the Bills for comment.
The Bills organization acknowledged the tragic accident on Saturday, sharing a statement of support for Oliver and his family during such a difficult time.
“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,” Brandon Beane, general manager of the Bills, said in the statement, shared via social media. “It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.”
ESPN and NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe further reported via X that a source said that Oliver, 28, was asking for “privacy and prayers at this very difficult time.”
According to ESPN, the Bills organization has been “aware of the incident since it occurred.” Per the outlet, Oliver has been participating in team activities throughout this year’s training camp and ahead of the 2026-2027 NFL season. ESPN also reports that the Bills and Oliver “were aligned” prior to the organization publicly confirming the toddler’s death.
NFL star Shaquil Barrett and his wife, Jordanna Barrett, are reflecting on the death of daughter Arrayah two years after her drowning. “It’s always a battle. It’s always a struggle. It don’t get no easier but it’s something that we’ve been managing, dealing with, just talking with each other and talking to NFL families, talking […]
Oliver, a defensive tackle who has spent his entire NFL career with the Bills and after he was drafted ninth in 2019, was absent from the Bills preseason game against the Cleveland Browns for a reported “minor injury” and amid the team’s decision to sideline “most veteran starters” until the regular season, ESPN reports.
In September 2025, Oliver opened up about how fatherhood has transformed him as a man and a professional.
“I really attest a lot of my maturity and just my growth to my kids,” Oliver said during a press conference at the time. “Having kids and having to be the head of a household and a leader and trying to guide them you know that that’s kind of then trickled over into football. Then, I got [to] become more patient and more, I guess, [observant] and paying attention to different things. … I don’t know what specifically they do, but they got a weird way of making you grow up real fast.”
For more vital, life-saving information on pool safety, see Bode Miller’s tips and visit Coverstar’s website.
