Micah Hyde #23 of the Buffalo Bills reacts after an interception during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Buffalo, New York.
The Buffalo Bills left the door open before the season for veteran safety Micah Hyde to return for a final run with the team.
An insider believes that with five games left in the regular season and a fifth-straight AFC East title clinched, now is the perfect time for Hyde to walk through it.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote that it “makes sense” for the Bills to bring back Hyde for the final stretch of the season, providing a trusted veteran. Bills general manager Brandon Beane had been open to the idea of Hyde returning, and Buscaglia believes the team may have a pending roster opening that would fit perfectly.
Micah Hyde Ready to Return
Hyde had been a favorite among fans and a mainstay in the Bills’ secondary since joining the team as a free agent in 2017, joining with Jordan Poyer to create one of the league’s top safety tandems. When his contract expired at the conclusion of the 2023 season, Hyde said he would only consider returning for one more season if he played for the Bills — but stressed that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Buscaglia suggested that the timing may be perfect for Hyde to return now, having gotten to spend several months including the Thanksgiving holiday with his wife and children. The Bills are also in strong contention for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, giving Hyde a chance at the Super Bowl he has badly wanted.
“Hyde has obsessed about getting to the Super Bowl in Buffalo since he arrived in 2017, so it wouldn’t have made any sense for him to commit to playing, given all his other reasons, without knowing he’d have one last chance to win it all,” Buscaglia wrote. “Now with the Bills at 10-2, already division champions and only one Chiefs loss from sliding into the AFC’s No. 1 seed, Hyde couldn’t have asked for a better situation. If it’s going to happen, the timing and opportunity now appear right.”
Buscaglia added that the Bills could free up a roster spot by parting ways with wide receiver Jalen Virgil, who was signed to the active roster from the practice squad in November after injuries to Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman. With Cooper already returned and Coleman close, Buscaglia suggested the Bills could waive Virgil with the hopes of signing him back to the practice squad.
Return Would Be ‘Home Run’ for Bills
Buscaglia noted that Hyde’s role on the field would be “unclear,” but noted that his leadership alone would be a big asset to a team looking to get over the hump and make a Super Bowl run.
“From a locker room perspective, it would be a home run,” Buscaglia wrote. “Hyde is a universally beloved player by his teammates, and with the majority of the locker room having been with the team in 2023, it would be an easy assimilation for Hyde despite being away from football since January.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen seemed open to Hyde’s return, telling reporters in November that he has kept in close touch with his longtime teammate. Allen was careful to stress that he was not criticizing the team’s current makeup on defense, but said Hyde’s addition would be a big boost.
“That would be great, but depending on, I don’t know what you want me to say,” Allen said, via SI.com. “I don’t have any thoughts or ways about it. I think our guys are, especially on the defensive side of the ball, are playing really fantastic football right now. But if there was an opportunity that arose to have him back, I think everybody in this locker room would welcome him with open arms.”