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After a promising start to his NFL career was derailed by injury, Shane Ray is getting another shot thanks to the Buffalo Bills.
As the Buffalo News reported, the former Denver Broncos defensive end was in Buffalo earlier in the week, one of several players invited for a minicamp tryout. Ray impressed enough to earn a contract with the Bills on May 13, which he shared on his Instagram page along with an emotional post about his NFL journey.
Shane Ray Opens Up About Second Chance in the NFL
Ray entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Broncos in 2015, and won a Super Bowl in his rookie season while playing 30% of the team’s defensive snaps. Playing alongside current Bills edge rusher Von Miller, Ray had four sacks in 15 games that season.
As the Buffalo News noted, Ray’s career was then derailed by a series of significant injuries. Ray suffered a torn ligament in his wrist in 2017 and missed long stretches of the following two seasons.
Ray signed with the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 offseason but failed to make the final roster, SI.com’s Bills Central noted. He then took two years away from football before joining the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. After two strong seasons in the CFL, Ray is now back in the NFL.
In the Instagram post announcing his signing with the Bills, Ray grew emotional about his journey and said he always had faith he would return to the NFL.
“Words can’t describe the emotions I’m feeling right now,” he wrote in the caption. “So many tears, sleepless nights, depression, everything that comes with losing the game. So many days of having nothing but hope while fighting a uphill battle. There where times that I thought maybe I should give up, but I wouldn’t be me if I folded.Even in my darkest moments I believed in myself. I believed in my preparation. I believed that I would have another opportunity even if the world didn’t believe.”
Shane Ray Could Fill Important Need in Buffalo
Prior to Ray’s signing on Saturday, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said they would likely be adding more depth at defensive end. He noted that the team already picked up former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kameron Cline after he was waived this week and were likely to add more players.
“We’re always looking at guys, and sometimes there’s guys in his case that you just bring out, you work out a player whatever,” Beane said. “We didn’t hit on any D-ends after the draft as far as guys to sign. And so that’s why we were excited to get the kid Cameron Kline last week that we claimed from Indy. We probably at some point may look to add a D-end between now and start of camp. And so instead of doing a workout, here’s a guy out there, let’s bring him in here for a couple of days, test his knowledge, test the skill set, see where he’s at. We call it kicking the tires.”
