Bills quarterback Josh Allen (R) and his former safety, Jordan Poyer, before the AFC Wild Card Playoff game on January 04, 2020 in Houston, Texas.
The Buffalo Bills took an axe to their roster this offseason, cutting several key veterans. The departure of safety Jordan Poyer was a particularly tough goodbye for Bills Mafia.
After seven seasons in Buffalo, Poyer signed with the Bills’ AFC East rival, the Miami Dolphins. The 33-year-old, who’s played alongside Bills quarterback Josh Allen ever since Buffalo landed him as the No. 7 overall pick in 2018, faces the MVP candidate as an opponent for the first time in his career in Week 2.
Before the Bills traveled to Florida for the Thursday Night Football showdown, Poyer made it clear he won’t be taking it easy on Allen and his former team. “We’re going to be ready to play,” he told reporters on September 9. “We’re excited to play; this is going to be a fun game on Thursday night.”
Poyer shared insider information with his Dolphins teammates on how to shut Allen down but played coy about the specific areas they could exploit. “Yeah, I’ll keep those within the team,” he said. After Allen threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns along with two rushing scores during the Bills’ 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, Poyer also knows containing him won’t be easy.
“He went pretty crazy doing what he’s always been doing, running around, throwing the ball, hurling over people,” Poyer said. “Great player, man. I’ve seen him do some crazy things over the years, so I’m really excited for my first opportunity to finally play against him. It’ll be a fun night on Thursday night.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Commented on Playing Against Dolphins Safety Jordan Poyer
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, September 10, Allen had nothing but good things to say about Poyer. “I got a lot of love for him… it’s gonna be fun,” Allen said, per Bills correspondent Dorian Alerte.
“First and foremost, I think, you know, going against really good competitors and really good players is it brings out the best in people. But at the same time, like, there’s gonna be some, some friendly jabs, and, you know, hopefully I just don’t let him tackle me, or the other word, I won’t even say it. So, you know, it’s, it’s fun to go against guys that you have a lot of love and respect for… He’s one of the best ever to put on a Bills uniform.”
While Poyer’s brother slammed Bills general manager Brandon Beane following his abrupt cut, the All-Pro harbors no ill-will. “I still have a lot of good relationships over there,” Poyer told reporters. “I’m thankful for all of my years out there in Buffalo.”
Allen has a fantastic 10-2 career record against Miami. During those 12 games between 2018 and 2023, Allen threw for 3,363 yards and 38 total touchdowns. While the 28-year-old quarterback suffered an injury to his non-throwing hand against the Cardinals, he was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and will start on Thursday.
Jordan Poyer Took a Serious Pay Cut to Sign With the Miami Dolphins
GettyFormer Bills safety Jordan Poyer at Hard Rock Stadium on January 07, 2024.
Poyer still had one year left on the $12.5 million contract when the Bills released him in a cap-saving move. By cutting Poyer, the Bills saved $5.72 million against the 2024 salary cap with a dead money charge of $2 million.”
Poyer, who was already close friends with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa accepted a one-year, $2 million contract with the Dolphins, which immediately raised some eyebrows. Agreeing to little more than a veteran’s minimum contract initially signaled he might not have clear path to making the 53-man roster.
However, Poyer made the team and proved to be a crucial part of the Dolphins defense in Week 1. During Miami’s 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Poyer participated in every down while recording six tackles.