Bills' Vontae Davis 'meant no disrespect' with halftime retirement

Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Vontae Davis said he mean 'no disrespect' when he retired from the NFL at halftime during the Buffalo Bills' Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Davis, 30, left Sunday's game during the intermission period at New Era Field in Buffalo. Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander told reporters after the game that Davis retired. Coach Sean McDermott told reporters that Davis' departure was not injury related.

"He pulled himself out of the game. He communicated to us that he was done," McDermott said.

Alexander called the move disrespectful to the Bills.

"I don't have nothing to say about Vontae," Alexander said. "I'm going to give him a little more respect than he showed us today as far as quitting on us in the middle of a game."

Alexander said he has never seen a player quit in a similar fashion during his football career. He said he found out about Alexander's retirement going into the third quarter.

Davis posted a message on social media on Monday, saying that he didn't mean to disrespect the franchise.

"I mean no disrespect to my teammates and coaches," Davis wrote. "But I hold myself to a standard. Mentally, I always expect myself to play at a high level. But physically, I know today that isn't possible, and I had an honest moment with myself."

"While I was on the field, I just didn't feel right, and I told the coaches, 'I'm not feeling like myself.'"

Davis also said that he no longer wanted to "keep sacrificing" himself, citing numerous surgeries and playing through injuries during his 10 year career.

"This was an overwhelming decision, but I'm at peace with myself and my family," Davis said.

Davis missed the majority of the 2017 season due to a groin injury. He signed with the Bills in March as a free agent. The No. 25 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft played his first three seasons for the Miami Dolphins, before signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. Davis made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2015 before signing his one-year contract this offseason with the Bills.