Former Indianapolis Colts running back, Nyheim Hines, has not played in an NFL game since 2022. A tragic off the field jet-ski accident sidelined the player with an ACL injury the summer of 2023.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided a much needed positive update on Hines’ recovery.
“Nearly two years to the date that he tore his ACL in a jet-ski accident, Nyheim Hines is looking for a chance to play in his first NFL game since 2022, when he returned two kicks for touchdowns in the same game for the Bills,” Schefter writes. “Hines believes his knee finally is ready for a return to action and he is looking for a new training camp home.”
Nyheim Hines Career After Indianapolis
Hines spent his first five years in the league in Indianapolis. He became a reliable third down running back for the Colts as was eventually traded to the Buffalo Bills. The trade sent Hines to Buffalo in exchange for Zack Moss and a conditional sixth round pick that became a fifth. The Colts selected tight end Will Mallory with the pick.
In Buffalo, Hines registered just six carries for a total negative three yards. He caught five passes for 53 yards and a touchdown but made his money in the kick return game.
He returned 19 kickoffs for 554 yards, scoring two touchdowns in the same game. The first return became one of, of not the most memorable play from this decade. It was the opening kick off of the first game the Bills played after the stunning cardia arrest safety Damar Hamlin suffered on the field six days prior.
Among discussions of postponing the season, and debates o whether or not the Bills would even take the field, Hines housed the first play from scrimmage.
“This is story book!” said Jim Nantz during his memorable call. “An opening kick off return for Damar Hamlin! And this place is going crazy!… I don’t believe what we just saw here.”
Hines was cut from the Bills after spending the entire 2023 season on the injured report in North West New York. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in March of 2024. Although he did not appear in a single game with the Dawg Pound.
“Cleveland signed Hines to a one-year deal last offseason, but he began the season on the non-football injury list as he continued his rehab,” read a report written this February. “The Browns designated him to return to practice in mid-October but did not activate him to the 53-man roster at the conclusion of his 21-day practice window.”
Can Hines Make A Comeback
The lifespan of an NFL running back is short, very short. A player would be fortunate just to mount a seven year career, as Hines already has. At just 28-years-old, Hines certainly is young enough for a team to take a flyer on him. But after a bad injury with a worse recovery, Hines agent will have to get to work trying to convince a team they need a veteran presence in their running back room.
Hines is an undeniably good pass catcher out of the backfield. In every single year of his career he has recorded more receiving yards than rushing. This could make him an attractive thought experiment for a team with a creative coordinator, or as a reliever on an offense that features a bell cow running back.
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