Free-agent safety Jordan Poyer expected to return to Bills: Reports

[Buddy]

Free-agent safety Jordan Poyer expected to return to Bills: Reports

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[HipKat]

The Bills have agreed to bring back free-agent safety Jordan Poyer, the team announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Poyer’s new deal is for two years. Financial terms were not disclosed.
• He was a first-team All-Pro in 2021 and has been a three-time team captain.
• Poyer ranks No. 16 on The Athletic’s list of top free agents this offseason.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why the timeline played out like this

The decision from Poyer ends an ordeal that began in the summer with his public request for a lucrative contract extension, which involved the safety changing agents and some concern about whether or not he would hold out in the summer. The soon-to-be 32-year-old Poyer ultimately played the entire season on the final year of his expiring contract and hoped to hit it big in free agency, but his market never surfaced the way he’d hoped. Multiple safeties had signed, filling some of the biggest vacancies at safety across the league, but Poyer and the Bills weren’t a part of it. All the while, the Bills have held to the value of their starting safety and maintained they would love to have Poyer back in 2023 if it makes sense for both sides, which is how it came together on a two-year deal to stay in Buffalo. — Buscaglia

What’s Poyer’s on-field impact?

This development is a huge victory for the Bills, getting a team captain and player they’ve loved in their defensive system back for another chance at making it to the Super Bowl. Poyer and Micah Hyde have been starting mainstays at safety since 2017 and complement each other’s skills so well. Poyer is an excellent strong safety that offers the versatility to moonlight for some plays at Hyde’s usual free safety positioning. Poyer has been a sure tackler and one of the team’s best starters since he arrived in Buffalo. Getting him back for 2023, especially after the team lost one of its top defenders in Tremaine Edmunds to free agency, is a monumental development for the upcoming Bills season. — Buscaglia

Any concerns around Poyer?

The only concern with Poyer is likely what prevented him from getting a lucrative free-agent deal somewhere outside of Buffalo: He’ll be 32 years old in April, and the further a player gets into their 30s comes the risk of declining ability. That likely was baked into the Bills’ valuation of him. The other thing to potentially watch is how many injuries he suffered in 2022, and if it’s a sign of things to come.

Starting in training camp, Poyer had to miss practice time or games for six different injuries throughout the year. He missed more games in 2022 (five) than from 2017 through 2021 (two). The Bills will hope the consistent and durable Poyer from the previous five seasons returns in 2023. — Buscaglia

Backstory

The 31-year-old made the Pro Bowl in 2022 despite dealing with multiple injuries including a hyperextended elbow in training camp, a sprained foot in Week 2, rib injuries in Week 4, a torn meniscus in Week 15 and a concussion in the playoff finale.