Getty Jordan Poyer celebrates after making an interception against the Miami Dolphins.
Jordan Poyer may have had his last dance with the Buffalo Bills.
The All-Pro safety headed to free agency in March, and reportedly failed to make progress on a contract extension that his team had pushed for publicly. Now that the Bills have been bounced from the NFL playoffs in a 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on January 22, attention has turned to Poyer’s future and a cryptic Twitter post may have revealed his intentions.
Jordan Poyer Sparks Speculation With Reference to Michael Jordan
While Poyer has not spoken publicly about where he will play next season, some fans believe he may have shared a goodbye of sorts on Twitter. Poyer changed the banner picture in his Twitter bio to one showing the 1998 Chicago Bulls, the team made famous in the documentary “The Last Dance” about the final year of the team’s dynasty.
Jordan Poyer’s Twitter bio has the 90s Bulls in the cover photo. Last dance? 🤔
Many fans saw the picture as a reference to Poyer’s final season together with the Bills. Poyer had already shared a message prior to the Bengals game that many fans interpreted as a goodbye.
“It could be my last home game in Buffalo,” Poyer said in an emotional segment of The Jordan Poyer Podcast. “It’s crossed my mind a couple of times. It definitely crossed my head a couple times.”
“It’ll be kind of emotional, just because you don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on,” Poyer added. “But you know, like I said, I’ve thought about it. Bills fans, I just want to let you know I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me and my family over the last six years. What is to come, we don’t know, but if this is my last game at home, like I said, I just wanted to say I appreciate you guys from the bottom of my heart for everything that you’ve done.”
Bills May Be Grooming Poyer’s Replacement
If Poyer leaves, the Bills may have a plan for who they pair with Micah Hyde at safety next season. In his season-ending press conference, head coach Sean McDermott said the team was considering moving rookie cornerback Christian Benford to safety next season. McDermott added that the team had this transition in mind when drafting him last May.
“That’s been talked about way back when we first picked up Christian and we’ll just see where it goes,” McDermott said.
Benford had a strong rookie season, earning a starting role early in the year while All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White was working his way back from a torn ACL. Benford ended up missing four games over the final stretch of the season after suffering an oblique injury in the team’s win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
The Bills also face an uncertain future with safety Damar Hamlin, who was pressed into a starting role after Hyde suffered a season-ending neck injury. Hamlin excelled at safety and was No. 2 on the team in tackles before collapsing on the field in the team’s Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Though Hamlin has been able to recover enough to spend time at the team facility and attend the team’s playoff game on Sunday, it is not certain when — or if — he might be able to play again next season.