The Buffalo Bills brought veteran safety Jordan Poyer back this offseason with the idea that he can provide some trusted depth and familiarity with Sean McDermott’s defense.
But Poyer may be pressed into action soon as the Bills placed a key reserve on injured reserve and have taken hits to other areas of the secondary. Poyer remained on the practice squad, but was expected to move to the active roster soon to fill the void.
Jordan Poyer Addresses Imminent Roster Move
The Bills announced on Saturday that backup safety Damar Hamlin was headed to injured reserve after suffering an injury this week. Hamlin lost his starting job to second-year safety Cole Bishop, but provided some depth at the position while also playing as a regular on special teams.
That could leave Poyer in line to move to the active roster, though the veteran safety said he was sad to see Hamlin go down.
âFirst and foremost, you never want to see anyone get injured,â Poyer told Syracuse.com. âBig fan of D-Ham, A great friend of mine. Somebody who I played a lot of football with.”
The Bills have some flexibility with Poyer. He still has three potential elevations from the practice squad before the team would need to sign him to the active roster. Whatever decision the team makes, Poyer said he’s ready to take the field.
âI feel like I played a lot of football in my life,â Poyer said. âSo, you know that is the case, Iâll be ready to play out there and play how I play.â
Poyer joined the Bills in 2017, one of the first roster additions for general manager Brandon Beane. He and fellow safety Micah Hyde, who signed at the same time, formed a core part of the defense that helped the team break a 17-year playoff drought and grow into perennial Super Bowl contenders.
The Bills parted ways with Poyer in March 2024 amid a series of cap-cutting moves, and he went on to sign with the Miami Dolphins. He played in 16 games, making 98 total tackles with three passes defensed.
Bills Could Turn to Another Safety
The Bills could also choose to fill in for Hamlin by moving rookie safety Jordan Hancock up the depth chart. He converted from nickel cornerback to safety after being drafted by the Bills and showed promise in training camp and the preseason, though has been hampered by injury.
Poyer, who has been helping his younger teammates develop, shared plenty of praise for Hancock and said the rookie would be ready for the opportunity.
âHeâs a ball player. Heâs going to play for a long time,â Poyer said. âHeâs just athletic, extremely athletic, extremely gifted. Heâs got ball skills, and he reminds me of a young me when I was coming into the league. I think heâs a little bit more gifted, maybe a little bit faster and can jump higher. Even being here for the last month and a half, Iâve seen his growth on and off the field. So, you know, I can see why Beane and this organization drafted him.â
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