Former Steelers RB Benny Snell Jr. May Have Found His New Team After Devastating Injury

It's always exciting when the Pittsburgh Steelers are reporting to training camp. There are so many things to look forward to with a long season ahead. Pittsburgh will report on Wednesday, July 26th, while the first practice will be Thursday, the 27th. One of the worst parts of the preseason, however, are surprise injuries. Some have terrible consequences for teams and key players are sidelined for weeks, months and, at times, the entire season.

The Steelers experienced this in 2022 when rookie wide receiver, Calvin Austin III suffered a foot injury and never returned to the field. He wasn't even able to participate in a preseason game. The hope for all teams is to get out of training camp healthy, but the Buffalo Bills are already reeling with special teams ace and running back, Nyheim Hines. He will miss the entire 2023 season after an off-the-field jet ski accident.

This, of course, didn't happen on a football field, which makes it even worse for the team and Hines. He was simply trying to enjoy the last few days before camp got into full swing and now his whole year will be put on the shelf. The Bills depth chart, according to ESPN, currently has James Cook and Deonte Harty next in line for kick and punt returning duties.

Now, however, Buffalo is down one of their running backs and while fourth-stringer and undrafted rookie, Jordan Mims will need to contribute significantly on special teams to make the roster, the Bills have another option with an experienced special teamer who has only ever played with the Steelers in his career since being drafted in 2019. He's unlikely to be back in Pittsburgh.

Former Steelers Running Back Benny Snell Jr. A Solid Option For The Bills

Benny Snell Jr. wouldn't win the return man job in Buffalo as his experience is limited. With the Steelers, he only had a total of four kick returns with his longest gain being 15 yards. He also never returned a punt during his time in Pittsburgh. If the Bills organization is looking for another running back with experience, however, who can also challenge the undrafted rookie in Mims on special teams, Snell Jr. might be the perfect option.

The idea of the former Steelers running back getting any time in the backfield is probably not realistic, but he still would work as a veteran and serviceable option in the event of injuries. Buffalo has made it a point to bring veteran presence into their backfield with Damien Harris and Latavius Murray already on the team, as well as newly signed, Darryton Evans. There's no guarantee a roster spot would have his name on it, but it doesn't seem like he has many options right now and he has more experience on special teams coverage and in the backfield.

Snell Jr. would be wise to have his agent reach out to the Bills front office to see if there are any synergies between the two parties. The ball-carrier was a solid special teams player for the Steelers and while he doesn't exactly have the resume in the backfield as Harris or Murray, he has had his moments and one came recently. He ran the ball 12 times for 62 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 2022 Week 12 victory against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bills may be completely content with their backfield and special teams situations even after the devastating injury to Hines, but if they are looking to add a veteran who can play on the kick and punt return teams while serving as an emergency running back, he's not the worst option. For Snell Jr., he would have a limited role, but would be joining a legitimate Super Bowl-caliber team.