NFL safety Jordan Poyer Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills had to make a tough decision with one of their top defensive players.

The Bills are going to release safety Jordan Poyer for salary-cap purposes.

The Bills entered the offseason in one of the worst spots in the league in relation to the salary cap. They tried to go all-in last year and were able to earn a home playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but they lost. Now they have to make several tough decisions, such as releasing Poyer and his fellow safety Micah Hyde.

Buffalo was projected to be $35 million over the salary cap prior to cutting Poyer, which will save them $5.7 million in cap space. Quarterback Josh Allen has a $47 million cap hit for 2024, while fellow star players Stefon Diggs has a $27.8 million cap hit, and Von Miller is at $23.8 million.

Having a star-studded roster comes at a price, which is something the Bills know too well.

Ever since signing with the Bills as a free agent in 2017, Poyer has taken his game to a new level. He rarely missed games and posted 22 interceptions, 11 sacks and had four seasons in which he recorded at least 100 tackles during his Bills career. Poyer was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and a first-team All-Pro in 2021.

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