Getty Bills running back Nyheim Hines warms up at Paycor Stadium on January 02, 2023.
Not long after he suffered a season-ending injury in a jet ski crash, it appeared that Nyheim Hines’ tenure with the Buffalo Bills could also come to an end.
The running back’s agent lashed out at the team after the accident that left him with a torn ACL, hinting in a cryptic post that they were failing to do the right thing regarding his $2.56 million salary.
But Hines revealed that settlement negotiations ended on a positive note, and expressed a desire to return to the Bills once he has completed rehab.
Nyheim Hines, Team Reached Conclusion
In an interview with The Athletic, Hines revealed that he was able to reach an amicable solution with the team following the accident, which took place over the Fourth of July weekend. The report noted that because his injury happened away from the team, the Bills were not required to pay him anything.
The parties eventually reached an agreement on a smaller settlement, and Hines said afterward he was satisfied.
“We were both upset, both parties were upset,” Hines says. “I didn’t expect for that to happen. They didn’t expect for this to happen. We both had big plans for myself. And they know I hold myself accountable, and they knew that this is gonna kill me more than it kills them.”
Bills’ Nyheim Hines breaks silence on season-ending preseason incident t.co/zkX0ehJHNh
It initially appeared that a solution was out of reach. Agent Ed Wasielewski shared a cryptic post on X that seemed to take aim at the team.
“Adversity reveals character,” he wrote. “Everyone has a choice to treat others with respect and dignity. It’s revealing when an employee is injured to see how a company takes care of its own. I will continue to believe that people will do the right thing when bad things happen to their own.”
But Hines shared some praise for the team in this week’s interview, saying he still considered himself a member of the Bills and wanted to return.
“They treated me right at the end of the day and they took care of it and I’m a member of the Buffalo Bills and I look forward to coming back there next year and earning the right to win,” he said.
Bills Could Have Opening for Nyheim Hines to Return
Hines made a big impact after joining the Bills at the trade deadline last season, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in an emotional season finale win over the New England Patriots just days after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field.
The Bills signed speedy receiver Deonte Harty in the offseason to take over return duties, but he failed to make an impact and was a healthy scratch in the team’s November 26 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote that the Bills could move on from Harty after the season if they choose.
“The Bills would save over $4M to move on from Harty before his roster bonus is due in mid-March,” Buscaglia wrote on X.
Harty has not made much of an impact in the offense, either. The former New Orleans Saints receiver has just 13 catches for 113 yards and one touchdown this season.
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Ex-Bills RB Nyheim Hines Reveals He Wants to Return to Buffalo