Getty Jordan Poyer #21 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
Jordan Poyer may not have given up his quest for a new contract, but he’s ready to come back to the Buffalo Bills while the negotiation process plays out.
After signing on with mega-agent Drew Rosenhaus and asking the team for a new contract, the All-Pro safety was a no-show from the team’s optional OTAs over the last few weeks. Poyer’s absence sparked speculation that he could continue to hold out when the mandatory portion of offseason exercises started this week, but a new report claims that won’t be the case.
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Poyer Coming Back to Bills
After weeks of speculation about Poyer’s intentions for minicamp this week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the veteran safety will indeed attend. The NFL insider added that talks between Poyer’s camp and the Bills remain ongoing.
“Buffalo’s All-Pro S Jordan Poyer will attend the Bills’ mandatory minicamp this week despite still seeking a contract extension as he enters the last year on his deal,” Schefter tweeted. “The Bills have been in communication with Poyer’s agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln, about his situation.”
Jordan Poyer will attend Bills mandatory minicamp.
While Poter’s attendance is seen as a step in the right direction, ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg reported that “his participation might be less than normal.” Poyer had never fully cut off contact with the team, as defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said they had been in touch with the safety while he was away.
“I think Jordan is in a good place mentally,” Frazier said, via ESPN. “He’s still staying in touch with his teammates, and hopefully, we’ll see him soon.”
Tough Decisions Ahead for Bills
It is unclear where the contract talks stand between Poyer and the Bills, as general manager Brandon Beane has notoriously tight-lipped about such negotiations. Earlier this offseason, there was some speculation that All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs might be growing discontent with his current deal, especially after some seemingly cryptic social media comments from Diggs. Beane too was vague in comments on negotiations, saying that the two sides had talked but offering no indication that a deal was imminent.
“Contracts get done when they’re supposed to get done,” Beane said.
Just days after that comment, the team announced that they had signed Diggs to a new four-year, $104 million extension that keeps him in Buffalo through 2027.
AP source: Bills starting safety Jordan Poyer will report for mandatory practices this week after sitting out all of Buffalo’s voluntary spring sessions because of a contract issue.
Poyer has been more vocal than Diggs in his quest for a new deal, with Rosenhaus releasing a statement saying the safety wanted a new deal and Poyer’s wife making comments on social media pressing the team to give him a new contract.
Beane has acknowledged talks with Poyer’s camp, but hinted that there’s not enough money to keep every player who has earned a new contract.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s hard. There’s other guys here that want to be paid, too… I want to pay ’em all — the ones that deserve it and have earned it,” Beane said, via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. “There’s other guys here that I feel have earned it as well, and want to do it. There’s guys that have left here since I’ve been here that I’ve wanted to pay, or our organization has wanted to pay, but you can’t pay them all, to the point of your question.”
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