Getty All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer appears to have played his last game in a Bills uniform.
The Buffalo Bills‘ journey to the Super Bowl came to an abrupt end following their 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional round on Sunday, January 22, and with the offseason starting earlier than expected, the team’s focus immediately shifts toward deciding which players they’ll keep or cut for next year.
While the bulk of Bills Mafia would love to see safety Jordan Poyer remain in Buffalo, his wife, Rachel Bush, who strongly campaigned for her husband to get an extension before the season started, threw cold water on the hope that the 31-year-old will somehow finish out his career in Orchard Park. On Tuesday, January 24, Bush appeared to confirm that Poyer’s tenure with the Bills was over.
Bush tweeted, “Still taking time to process all this while packing our house completely up for the first time in 6 years. Seems surreal. Bills Mafia, regardless of what happens-whatever comes of Jordan’s FA this year, y’all have been AMAZING these past few years. THANK YOU❤️💙.”
Still taking time to process all this while packing our house completely up for the first time in 6 years. Seems surreal. Bills Mafia, regardless of what happens-whatever comes of Jordan’s FA this year, y’all have been AMAZING these past few years. THANK YOU❤️💙
Poyer himself has yet to post an official goodbye to Bills Mafia, but learning his wife is “completely” packing up the house strongly insinuates he’ll be suiting up for a different team next year.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he had “a lot of respect” for how Poyer handled his contract situation this past year and while “we would love have him back for sure,” — he’s not sure if that’s possible until they get clarity on what the cap limit is for the 2023 NFL season.
While one could argue that Cole Beasley‘s time in Buffalo also appeared to be officially done after he sold his Buffalo home and briefly retired from the NFL, Poyer’s situation is vastly different. He’s not willing to sign a one-year veteran’s minimum deal. The All-Pro is looking to get the money he deserves and secure a long-term contract as he enters the backend of his NFL career.
Poyer, who’s played with the Bills since 2017, will become one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason, and Bush is excited to see where he lands. She retweeted Jets’ podcaster Will Parkinson’s post which read, “If you wanna win in 2023 you sign Jordan Poyer and he makes you instantly so much better,” and wrote, “Goes for any team that’s a fact😅🤪.”
The Instagram model tweeted another message of support on Monday night. “❤️💙 He literally gave this city and team his all. Proud would be an understatement! You are super human @J_poyer21 !! 🤩 Time to get healthy and go crazy next year! You already know, superstar⭐️.”
Poyer Exited the Bills-Bengals Matchup Early After Suffering a Head Injury
Jordan Poyer’s season:
-Played on final year of contract
-Hyperextended elbow in camp
-Fractured two ribs
-Drove 15 hours to play in KC
-Played with a torn meniscus
The Bills were 13-1 in games he played
Don’t ever question his toughness or value in Buffalo.
Unfortunately for Poyer, what appeared to be his last “home” game in Buffalo didn’t end well. Following a nasty helmet-to-helmet collision with Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White early in the fourth quarter — both players were trying to tackle Bengals receiver Tee Higgins — Poyer was ruled out for the remainder of the matchup with a heady injury.
While no one can deny Poyer’s talent, toughness or dedication to the Bills, he’s played through a series of injuries this past season, and even drove 15 hours to play against Kansas City in Week 6 after a rib injury made it unsafe for him to fly — it makes his departure all the more bittersweet.
The Bills went 13-1 this year when Poyer was active, and with fellow All-Pro safety Micah Hyde hitting IR in Week 2, he pulled a lot of weight as both a player and mentor. While injuries limited his performance, he finished the regular season with a 75.4 overall rating from Pro Football Focus, with 46 solo tackles, 4 interceptions and 16 receptions allowed.
Interested teams will hope Poyer can get healthy over the summer and get back to the level he played at last year. In 2021, Poyer tallied 61 solo tackles, 5 interceptions and 13 receptions allowed.
Beane Said They Have About $240 Million on the Books for Next Season
GettyBrandon Beane, general manager of the Buffalo Bills, at the draft combine in March.
Financially, it will be impossible for Beane to retain all his pending free agents, especially since Josh Allen’s salary comes with a $39.7 million cap hit in 2023, per Spotrac.com, Stefon Diggs’ new extension comes with an approximately $20.3 million hit, and Von Miller’s deal depletes another $18.7 million.
While the NFL salary cap is expected to go up, it was $208.2 million for the 2022 season, Beane said on Tuesday that Bills roster is currently at $240 million for next year, and there’s no way the ceiling is raising that high for 2023.
In addition to Poyer, other key unrestricted free agents include linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker A.J. Klein, guard Rodger Saffold, running back Devin Singletary, punter Sam Martin, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, defensive end Shaq Lawson, along with offensive linemen David Quessenberry and Greg Van Roten.