On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills announced that they are bringing veteran safety Micah Hyde back to Western New York. He joins the practice squad for now, replacing released WR Deon Cain.

During the offseason, the Buffalo Bills parted ways with more than a handful of veterans as they overhauled their roster and appeared to be committed to a youth movement. One veteran they didn’t want to cut ties with, however, was safety Micah Hyde. The 11-year safety, who had been part of the Bills organization since 2017, simply let his contract expire.

Hyde had gone on record saying he could only see himself in Buffalo’s red, white and blue if he decided to return to the game – which he could do at any time since he hasn’t filed retirement papers with the NFL. On the other hand, Bills general manager Brandon Beane insisted that lines of communication have always remained open with the All-Pro safety and that he would be happy to have discussions about a Hyde reunion.

Now those phone lines have been disconnected and the calls ended because Hyde will put his phone in airplane mode when he boards a flight from California to Buffalo.

Which teams did Micah Hyde play for?

Hyde originally began his career as a fifth-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers. He came to the Bills as a free agent and signed as one of Brandon Beane’s first moves as Buffalo’s GM. Hyde shined in Buffalo and immediately elevated his career by earning his first All-Pro nomination and his first Pro Bowl selection in his first season as a Bill. This season also marked the end of Buffalo’s 17-year playoff drought and immediately made Hyde a fan favorite and a front-runner in the locker room.

What is Micah Hyde’s injury history?

In 2022, Hyde suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 when a tackle on a Miami XXXX caused a neck injury that required surgery. The chants of “23 in ’23” began, led by Hyde’s wife, who assured the Buffalo community that the security guard’s career was not over. In fact, Buffalo opened its practice window so that he would be available to play if the Bills reached the championship round of the playoffs, but that wasn’t to be the case as Buffalo lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round.

In September 2023, Hyde returned to play and started 14 of the Bills’ 17 games. He had a few scares along the way, recording 54 tackles, 7 pass deflections and 2 interceptions in his return season. Hyde had some stab wounds which were concerning due to neck surgery the year before.

Micah Hyde considered retiring after the 2023 season

Although he returned to the game after each absence with the same aggressiveness as always, it was clear that the injuries at least gave him cause to pause and reflect. When his contract expired in March, Hyde said he had a lot to think about as he considered whether to hang up his boots for good or take another shot at a championship that had eluded him his entire career. It looks like it took him nine months to think about it, and now he’s finally made the decision.

What can we expect from Micah Hyde with the Bills in 2024?

Although he hasn’t played football in eleven months and certainly has some work to do to be ‘football ready’, there is no doubt that Hyde will make an impact in the dressing room as an experienced voice in the defensive department and a true player Depth player as the Bills make their sixth straight playoff appearance in January.

Currently, Damar Hamlin holds Hyde’s old spot, and while he isn’t Hyde, he has the second-most tackles on the team with 41, along with five passes defended, two interceptions and a fumble recovery – numbers that rival Hyde’s 2023. However, Hamlin’s replacement is rookie Cole Bishop, who lacks both experience and numbers. It’s obvious that Brandon Beane would like to have a little more confidence, a little more experience and a much louder voice as the Bills head into the postseason.

So Hyde joins the practice squad, not the active roster, and we’ll see how his progression toward the postseason goes. Hyde’s boots aren’t finished yet.