Buffalo Bills' Shawne Merriman's Achilles Injury Means Lights Out for the Year

It's Lights Out for Shawne Merriman.

The Buffalo Bills placed veteran linebacker Shawne Merriman on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday because of a right Achilles injury.

It's the same injury that forced him to go on injured reserve last November just weeks after the Bills signed him as a free agent on Nov. 3, 2010. On Nov. 10, Merriman suffered the injury during his first workout with the Bills.

Merriman's Achilles unexpectedly flared up on him the Thursday before Buffalo's 27-24 loss to the New York Giants, and forced him to miss that game.

Shawne has worked extremely hard, but unfortunately, his Achilles flared back up and it doesn't appear that he will be able to return to the field anytime soon, Bills general manager Buddy Nix said in a statement announcing the move Tuesday. So we felt it was in the best interest of our team and for Shawne to put him on IR.

Buffalo re-signed Merriman to a two-year deal a day before the Bills 2010 season finale at the New York Jets in January, hoping he'd provide the defense with a much-needed pass-rushing weapon. But Merriman was bothered by a knee injury late in the preseason, and then a nagging shoulder injury early in the regular season kept his snap-count to that of a part-time player.

Merriman was the 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year and a three-time Pro Bowler from 2055-2007.

The 27-year-old, in his seventh year as a pro, finishes the 2011 season with nine tackles and one sack in five games for the 4-2 Bills.