Getty Sean McDermott watches from the sidelines during a Buffalo Bills game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
After being hit with another injury on defense, the Buffalo Bills are bringing back rookie linebacker Shayne Simon just days after he was first released.
The Bills parted ways with Simon last week after injuries to their safety position led the team to bring in some veteran help. But it was another injury this week — this time to defensive end David Ugwoebu — that freed up a spot for Simon to return.
The team announced on August 4 that they re-signed Simon and waived Ugwoebu with an injury designation.
Signed LB Shayne Simon and waived/injured DE David Ugwoebu.
Shayne Simon Had Joined Bills as Undrafted Free Agent
The Bills first signed Simon in June after he went undrafted in the NFL Draft. The former Pitt linebacker had several rookie camp tryouts after the draft and found a home in Buffalo, Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire reported at the time.
Simon came into the NFL after an extensive collegiate career, playing at Notre Dame from 2018-2021 and then playing his final two seasons at Pitt. He had a big impact on the field in 2023, making 48 total tackles including 7.5 for a loss with five sacks.
At the time he was initially signed, Wojton suggested that Simon could find a place on the roster due to his special teams experience and the league’s new rules emphasizing kickoffs.
“Simon could potentially be helped by the kickoff rule changes made by the NFL this offseason which might require more players with Simon’s profile to be on the roster. Regardless, he’s likely a practice squad candidate,” Wojton wrote.
The Bills will likely have a tight competition at linebacker, with All-Pro Matt Milano returning after a fractured leg cut short his 2023 season. The Bills also used a fifth-round draft pick on linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, bringing more competition to the position.
Bills Hit With Training Camp Injuries
Simon’s initial release came after some costly injuries to the team’s secondary. The Bills saw safety Mike Edwards go down with a hamstring injury and rookie safety Cole Bishop suffer a shoulder injury. Both were listed as week-to-week, prompting the Bills to sign veteran safety Kareem Bishop to help fill the void.
The Bills also signed safety Terrell Burgess to a one-year contract on July 31.
Though Edwards appeared in line for a starting job, injuries kept him off the field during the offseason and now may have brought an early end to his training camp. Bills head coach Sean McDermott admitted that it could be a major roadblock for Edwards in getting back into the starting lineup.
“It’s a part of the game, on one hand,” McDermott said, via The Citizen. “The other part is, in order to get the scheme down the way you need to get it down, you need to be out there. But Mike’s a pro, he’s been around it before, so I’m sure he’ll do his best to stay up as best as he can on the mental end of things.”
The Bills could have one more option at safety, with veteran Micah Hyde hinting that he could be open to a return if he does not opt for retirement.
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