Bills running back Nyheim Hines just suffered a season-ending injury. Here’s what it means for Buffalo’s RB room in 2023.
Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines suffered an injury during a freak jet ski accident that will cause him to miss the entire 2023 season. As first reported by Tom Pelissero, Hines sustained “serious but not life-threatening” injuries when he was struck by a jet ski and will need to undergo surgery.
The details of his injuries were not made available to the public.
Hines, who has served as Jonathan Taylor’s backup in Indy for half of his NFL career, joined the Bills last November in a trade with the Colts. In 2022, he recorded just six rush attempts in nine games for the Bills, making his most memorable plays on special teams instead: he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in a Week 18 victory against the Patriots.
Heading into 2023, the 26-year-old Hines was expected to play a larger role in special teams as a proven kickoff/ punt returner. After Duke Johnson and Isiah McKenzie left this offseason, the returner job was all but his.
His injury will be devastating to the Bills’ special teams unit, and Buffalo may look deeper down the depth chart for Deonte Harty or Khalil Shakir to take Hines’ snaps.
Bills RB Nyheim Hines is out for the season
While sitting stationary on a jet ski, Nyheim Hines was struck by another rider and sustained serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Hines will require surgery and will miss the 2023 season. https://t.co/hR1VVD7BmW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 24, 2023
In their process of building a championship-contending team, the Bills managed to assemble a versatile running back corps this season without breaking the bank. The team added ex-Patriot Damien Harris and ex-Bronco Latavius Murray to the existing room of 2022 second-rounder James Cook and Hines, creating a balance of power and pass-catching backs.
With Hines out of the picture, the Bills could look externally for pass-catching depth to equip Josh Allen with another target in the passing attack. Don’t expect Buffalo to go after workhorses like Ezekiel Elliott or Dalvin Cook, though — those guys are likely out of the Bills’ price range, and the team doesn’t need an every-down back, just a suitable pass-catching replacement for Hines.
This offseason, the AFC East got a lot tougher with the Dolphins’ recent acquisitions and the arrival of Aaron Rodgers in New York, and even though the Bills have topped the division for the past three years, that trend could change in 2023.
Hines may be out for the season, but the show in Buffalo must go on.