ST. LOUIS — Stedman Bailey was in intensive care and in stable condition at a Miami area hospital Wednesday after undergoing a surgical procedure that the St. Louis Rams say lasted 4-6 hours for a bullet wound to the head.
Coach Jeff Fisher said he didn’t anticipate Bailey, who is eligible to return from a suspension in two weeks, would play again this season. But that in itself is good news.
It likely made for a sobering atmosphere at Rams Park, although loud music was played during practice as usual to prepare the team to play at Cincinnati this week.
“Whether you’re a coach or you’re a father or you’re a family member, anytime something like that happens it’s very, very difficult,” Fisher said after practice.
Fisher did not have specifics on the amount of times the 25-year-old Bailey was shot or the circumstances of the shooting, or why the operation took so long.
He said he twice updated players about Bailey, who had been working out in Florida at least part of the time since being suspended in early November for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
The Rams had been optimistic about Bailey’s chances after a member of the team’s medical staff spoke with Bailey on Tuesday night.
“That gave us hope that he would pull through this, and it was not life-threatening,” Fisher said.
Bailey was shot as he and four others were sitting in a car outside a home in the Miami area, police said. Another man, Antwan Reeves, was with Bailey and was also shot in the incident Tuesday night. Three others in the car, including two minors, were not wounded.
“The victims drove themselves to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment,” Miami Gardens police said in a statement.
Reeves was out of surgery and was also in critical but stable condition, a police spokeswoman said. Police said they were looking for suspects, who had driven up in another car before shooting.
Bailey went to high school in the Miami area. He is in his third season with the Rams, but has been suspended twice by the NFL.
Bailey, who turned 25 on Nov. 11, was a third-round pick in the 2013 draft out of West Virginia, where he was part of a prolific wide receiving tandem with Tavon Austin, whom the Rams selected with the eighth overall pick that year.
Bailey served a two-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs at the start of last season.
According to police, Bailey, Reeves and the three others were sitting in a car at about 8:45 p.m. ET Tuesday at a local residence. Another vehicle arrived and “opened fire,” police said. Reeves was taken into surgery shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Players from around the league reached out on social media shortly after reports emerged.
“Keep our brother @iamSB3 in your thoughts, prayers tonight. I don’t wanna believe it,” Rams defensive end Chris Long tweeted.
Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Le’Veon Bell used Twitter to send his best wishes: “prayers to my brother Stedman Bailey.”
Rams punter Johnny Hekker tweeted, “Praying for guardian angels over Sted. We’re with you brother.”
Bailey has started three games each of the past two seasons, and this season has 12 receptions for 182 yards with one touchdown. He was fined for pulling a stunt after the lone score after using the ball as a pillow and lying down in the end zone.
Last season, he had 30 receptions with a 14.5-yard average and one touchdown. He was among five Rams receivers who did the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” gesture during player introductions before a game last December as a show of solidarity for protesters in nearby Ferguson, Missouri.
The Rams signed free-agent wide receiver Wes Welker after Bailey’s second suspension. Bailey is eligible to return to the roster on Dec. 7, the day after the Rams play at Arizona.
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