A former Buffalo Bills running back appeared to find a new opportunity with an NFC Super Bowl contender, but it turned out to be a short-term arrangement.
Jordan Mims, who came into the NFL with the Bills in 2023, had signed with the San Francisco 49ers at the end of May. He was expected to compete for a depth position, but a sudden change of fortunes now has him looking for a new team.
Jordan Mims Hits Career Setback
The 49ers announced on May 28 that they signed Mims, the three-year NFL running back. But the 49ers cut ties with Mims less than two weeks later, announcing this week that they waived him.
Mims spent the summer of 2023 with the Bills, Mims appeared in two preseason games for the Bills that year, rushing 11 times for 47 yards with a touchdown. He added four receptions for 45 yards.
It wasn’t enough to earn Mims a spot on the roster, with the Bills cutting ties at the final roster cutdown in August.
Mims spent the next two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, appearing in 13 total games. He saw the most action in 2024, when he rushed 40 times for 70 yards and made 12 receptions for 71 yards. Mims was also a regular on special teams.
Mims signed with the Tennessee Titans last season, appearing in one game.
Though Mims went undrafted, he earned some buzz after his final season at Fresno State, earning praise from NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein.
“Mims runs with solid vision and good toughness to find yardage that is on the field for him,” Zierlein wrote. “He can make a defender miss in space, but he doesn’t possess the sudden acceleration to blaze through the line of scrimmage or stack multiple cuts and keep runs going without tacklers finding him. He has some talent as an interior runner but needs to pick up the pace and become a little more decisive early on. He has some pass protection ability but might not catch the ball well enough for third-down consideration, which could hurt his chances of making a team.”
Though Mims may have faced a challenge in making the final roster in San Francisco, he now faced a new challenge in simply finding another team.
Bills Running Back With the Same Backfield
The Bills have not made many significant changes to their backfield, deciding against adding any running backs in free agency or the NFL draft. Though they did sign a pair of undrafted free agents to compete in training camp, the team is expected to return the same rotation for the 2026 season.
Top running back James Cook is looking to defend his NFL rushing title, the first for a Bills running back in more than 50 years. Ty Johnson and Ray Davis will continue to back up Cook, though both saw their roles reduced last season, after the Bills locked down Cook to a hefty extension.
Davis was able to find a role in another phase of the game, taking over as the kick returner and earning an All-Pro nod as a return specialist.
Ex-Bills RB Cut By New Team Just Days After Signing