Latest Bills reunion is perfect insurance for potential Super Bowl run

For the past seven years, the Buffalo Bills had one of the best safety tandems in the league. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, who both signed with Buffalo as free agents in 2017, started more games together (92) than any other safety duo during that span.

That run finally came to an end after the 2023 season, when the largest salary cap deficit in the league forced general manager Brandon Beane to make difficult changes to the roster.

While Poyer signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, Hyde stepped away from football to contemplate retirement. The 33-year-old was plagued by injuries for the majority of the past two seasons. He underwent season-ending surgery after he suffered a neck injury in Week 2 of the 2022 season. He missed three regular-season games due to various injuries in 2023 and never looked fully healthy.

The ailments drained Hyde's joy of football, but the former Bills captain made it clear that he would only play for Buffalo if he decided to return. On Wednesday, the former Bills captain made good on that promise.

Bills sign Micah Hyde with hopes of a Super Bowl run

The Bills signed Hyde to the practice squad on Wednesday, NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported. Hyde guaranteed that he would retire after Buffalo's final game of the 2024 season, which the team is hoping ends in confetti at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott emphasized that Hyde was only signed to the practice squad and would not be expected to start right away, per ESPN.

Buffalo has done a great job of restocking their secondary. The Bills selected safety Cole Bishop in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and signed veteran safety Taylor Rapp to an extension during the offseason. Rapp has started alongside third-year safety Damar Hamlin, and the Bills defense has allowed the lowest total QBR (50.4) through 11 games.

While quarterback Josh Allen has carried the league's second-best scoring offense, Buffalo has been able to suffocate opponents with the sixth-best scoring defense.

Despite the defense's success, Hyde's veteran leadership and locker room presence could pay dividends as the team attempts to capture their first Super Bowl championship. He may not be the player he once was, but he is now the third-most experienced player on Buffalo's roster behind only outside linebacker Von Miller and safety Kareem Jackson.

"For me, personally, he's one of my favorite humans of all time," quarterback Josh Allen said, per ESPN. "So, to have him in the building is awesome, someone that you can talk to about not just football things, but life things. He's an honest guy. He's a smart guy. And, just having that type of person and that knowledge in our locker room has to pay benefits to us. So, obviously, he's very familiar with what we do on defense and just a great guy to have."

The Bills clinched the AFC East title for the fifth consecutive season with a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football, and they're threatening to chase down the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC's No. 1 seed.