For some time, Tim Riggins, Jason's best friend, blames himself for not blocking the hit that paralyzes Jason and he avoids visiting Jason at the hospital for almost six weeks. During Jason's hospital stay, his girlfriend, Lyla, begins an affair with Tim. The two manage to hide the affair until Jason sees them in an intimate moment and eventually figures out what is going on. He confronts Lyla about it, but she lies and says she is not cheating on him. Jason, however, is not convinced and he slugs Tim and challenges him to a fight, a fight that Tim walks away from out of shame and guilt over his actions. After word of the incident gets to the team, several Panthers players loyal to Jason ambush Tim in his truck one night and smash out the windows with baseball bats even though Jason clarifies that Tim did not physically hurt him in any way. Jason tries his best to hate Lyla for her part in the affair, but comes to admit that he still loves her and proposes to her. Lyla says yes, but the relationship quickly begins to fall apart. After catching Jason with another woman, Lyla breaks off the engagement, ending their relationship for good.