1:41pm: Hyde told reporters that he plans to retire after this season, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. He aims to help the Bills finally win secure an elusive Super Bowl victory to cap off his impressive 12-year career.
11:11am: A long-rumored reunion is coming to pass. The Bills separated from many core players this offseason, with Micah Hyde one of the longtime starters not brought back. But the team kept its longtime safety on the radar. Months after those return rumors began, they will lead to deal.
Hyde is indeed coming back to the Bills. Sean McDermott said Wednesday that the seven-year safety starter is rejoining the team on a practice squad deal. Despite Buffalo cutting Mike Edwards recently, there will be room for Hyde as an insurance piece.
In Hyde and Jordan Poyer, Buffalo featured one of the longest-running safety tandems in NFL history. The 2017 free agency additions played central roles in the Bills’ McDermott-era ascent. Added in McDermott’s first offseason in charge, the pair played seven seasons together. Poyer, however, is now in Miami. Hyde will still join some former teammates, as Damar Hamlin and 2023 UFA addition Taylor Rapp are in place as starters.
Turning 34 later this month, Hyde has been out of football since his most recent Bills contract expired. The 11-year veteran had said it was Bills or retirement for him in 2024. The Bills did not expect him to retire this year, and the now-five-time reigning AFC East champions will see to it that an NFL exit is put on hold for at least a few more months.
This marks Hyde’s third Bills contract. The team gave him a five-year, $30.5MM deal in 2017 and later extended him at two years, $19.25MM. Wednesday is a new chapter for Hyde, who will now be attached to P-squad money. The Bills added Cole Bishop via second-round pick this offseason as well, and while Rapp will be limited in practice today, McDermott said the Hyde signing is unrelated to the sixth-year veteran’s minor injury.
Hyde has made 95 starts for the Bills. That ranks fourth in team history at safety, behind Poyer (107), 1990s bastion Henry Jones (129) and all-time leader Steve Freeman (134). Hyde missed most of the 2022 season with a neck injury, being limited to two starts. While he returned to practice months later, the Bills never activated him from IR. The former Packers draftee bounced back last season, starting 14 games and being available — when many Bills defenders were not — for both playoff contests. Hyde has 16 career interceptions with the Bills, including five apiece in 2021 and 2017, a Pro Bowl season that ended a near-two-decade Bills playoff drought.
The Bills cut Poyer, Tre’Davious White and Mitch Morse this offseason, doing so just before letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency. They then traded Stefon Diggs, signaling what many expected to be a transition year. Buffalo has bucked those expectations, starting 10-2 and putting heat on Kansas City for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The team will now have a leadership presence back in the building, and it will be interesting to see if Hyde returns to action soon.
Yesssssss!!! Love it. Even if he never plays, just having him back in the locker room with his leadership and character… so glad he’s back in the building!!!
I think there probably is value to that – Im skeptical if this late version of Micah is an upgrade to Hamlin, but not a bad depth piece.
Yeah, we’ll have to see about all of that. Hamlin has been solid. I assume they didn’t bring back Micah to supplant him. That would be amazing if it happened, if he was finally totally healthy and good to go, but I doubt that’s the assumption unless there’s more to this story than we know. I think it’s as simple as this team has great vibes, they really seem to like playing together. It feels like they’re having fun. Micah is an amazing locker room presence, everyone loves him. I bet it’s a team chemistry move. This team feels special, Micah should be around for the ride. He’s a glue guy.
I think that was part of the reason too – to let him get a piece of this year.
I wonder if he would play closer to the LOS safety – more of a LB.
I know the LB depth was tested last year.
Maybe not – just hypothesizing.
Love it.
Good move for a team about to have a potential SB match-up with Detroit. The Lions may get Reynolds back as well. Playoffs are always an exciting time for this league.
I could be wrong but I highly doubt he plays against Detroit
The prodigal son returns…