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Bills’ Nyheim Hines Suffers Season-Ending Injury Off The Field

Originally posted on NFL Analysis Network
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated 7/24/23

The Buffalo Bills running back depth chart has taken a major hit before training camp has even gotten underway. The team is set to have their first practice on Wednesday, July 26th, but veteran Nyheim Hines will not be present.

Nyheim Hines will instead be away from the team as he suffered a significant knee injury off-site and is expected to miss the entire 2023 season. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided the updates. Pelissero added that the injury occurred while Hines was on a jet ski, but not from operating it himself.

He was sitting stationary on the jet ski when he was struck by another rider and sustained serious, albeit non-life-threatening injuries. Nyheim Hines will have to undergo surgery and will miss the entire season.

While sitting stationary on a jet ski, Nyheim Hines was struck by another rider and sustained serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Hines will require surgery and will miss the 2023 season. https://t.co/hR1VVD7BmW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 24, 2023

That is a tough blow for the Bills as Nyheim Hines, at the very least, was a key contributor on special teams. He was handling kickoff and punt returns last season for Buffalo after being acquired midseason via trade from the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bills traded a fifth-round pick and running back Zack Moss to the Colts in exchange for Nyheim Hines. He was likely going to factor into the backfield equation this season as well with Devin Singletary moving on in free agency, signing with the Houston Texans.

While Nyheim Hines doesn’t normally do much running between the tackles, he has made an impact in passing situations. He is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, totaling 240 receptions for 1,778 yards and eight touchdowns in his NFL career. His pass protection is also very stout.

Without him in the lineup, all passing down work will likely be given to James Cook. The second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia has very little competition for third-down work now. The other additions that the Bills made in the backfield, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, are both early-down players who won’t have much of a passing game role.

This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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