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Jordan Poyer

Bills Add K Matt Prater To Practice Squad

September 4th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Ben Levine

As Tyler Bass continues to nurse an injury, the Bills have added some insurance at the kicker position. The team announced that veteran kicker Matt Prater has joined the practice squad.

Bass has been dealing with a left hip/groin issue for a month, although his appearance in Buffalo’s preseason finale provided optimism that he’d be good to go for Week 1. However, the veteran kicker was listed as a non-participant on today’s injury report, an indication that he could be sidelined for at least the Bills season opener.

If that ends up being the case, the Bills will have to immediately turn to their newest acquisition. Prater brings plenty of experience to Buffalo, as the 41-year-old has been kicking in the NFL since the 2007 season. A two-time Pro Bowler, Prater’s efficiency dropped a bit during his final seasons in Detroit, including a 2020 campaign where he connected on only 75 percent of his field goal attempts.

He rebounded a bit during his time with the Cardinals, connecting on 84.2 percent of his FGA and 95.6 percent of his XPA. Prater connected on all six of his field goal tries and all 10 of his extra point attempts to begin the 2024 season before suffering a season-ending meniscus injury. That effectively ended his tenure in Arizona, as the Cardinals proceeded with Chad Ryland as their full-time kicker.

Now, Prater will look to continue his career in Buffalo, even if it’s just for a short stay. The Bills previously prepared for a potential Bass absence when they rostered Caden Davis for much of August, but the front office apparently prefers the veteran stability that Prater provides.

Elsewhere on Buffalo’s taxi squad, the team made a handful of expected moves. After agreeing to a deal with Gabe Davis earlier this week, the team placed the injured receiver on the practice squad IR, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The veteran is still recovering from a meniscus injury suffered last November. Taking his place on the practice squad is safety Jordan Poyer (per Wilson), who was temporarily cut yesterday to accommodate the Davis addition.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/25

September 3rd, 2025 at 8:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Eli Ricks
  • Released: OL Hollin Pierce

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Released: DL Isaiah Raikes

The Ravens added a notable special teamer to their taxi squad today, agreeing to a deal with veteran J.T. Gray. The 29-year-old spent his entire professional career with the Saints before getting cut by the team last week. The majority of Gray’s playing time has come on special teams, where he’s earned three All-Pro nods for his efforts. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes, the veteran will likely see a role in Baltimore, as the team is still looking to fill holes left by a handful of departed core special teamers this past offseason.

To accommodate the addition of old friend Gabe Davis to the practice squad, the Bills had to get a bit creative. Temporarily, the team has released veteran safety Jordan Poyer, but the former Buffalo starter shouldn’t be gone for long. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Poyer is expected to rejoin the Bills practice squad once Davis is placed on the taxi squad injured list.

The Lions landed on a third-string quarterback after holding an audition earlier today. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the team has signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad. Beathard worked out for the team earlier today alongside Nathan Peterman. Beathard has only started one game since garnering 12 starts for the 49ers between 2017 and 2020. He split last season with the Jaguars and Dolphins without getting into a game. In Detroit, he’ll serve as a third-stringer behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen.

Bills To Reunite With S Jordan Poyer

August 27th, 2025 at 8:13am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills are reuniting with veteran safety Jordan Poyer, according to FOX Sports Jordan Schultz.

Poyer, 34, played in Buffalo from 2017 to 2023, starting 107 games with only eight games missed due to injury. He also earned recognition as a first-team All Pro (2021) ands Pro Bowler (2022).

Poyer was released last March as part of the Bills’ 2024 cap moves that set up their flurry of offseason extensions this year. The 12-year veteran then signed with the division rival Dolphins for $2MM and outplayed that value with 16 starts and 98 tackles. The latter ranked second on a Miami defense that quietly finished as a top-10 unit last season.

Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp led the Bills’ safety room in 2024, with Cole Bishop and Cam Lewis both adding versatile depth. Bishop, a 2024 second-round pick, started four games as a rookie and was expected to take over a full-time role next to Rapp.

Poyer’s return to Buffalo may interfere with those plans. He’ll start on the practice squad, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, but he could retake his starting role in a familiar Sean McDermott defense. Despite his age, Poyer still played 96% of the available snaps in Miami last year. The Bills can elevate him from the practice squad three times; to play him beyond that, they must sign him to the active roster.

Originally drafted by the Eagles as a cornerback in 2013, Poyer appeared in three of the team’s first four games as a rookie. The former seventh-round pick quickly fell out of Philadelphia’s plans and was waived in October. He landed in Cleveland and converted to safety, carving out a core special teams role before rotational defensive snaps in 2015 and his first starting job in 2016. His tenure as a starter ended early due to a season-ending blindside block, and he was targeted by the Bills the following offseason to pair with fellow free agent signing Micah Hyde.

That partnership flourished over the next seven seasons, but both were cap casualties last year. Hyde returned to Buffalo in 2024 via the practice squad and retired as a Bill at the end of the season. Poyer has taken the first steps towards the same potential outcome, though he will be hoping to help the franchise finally bring home their first Super Bowl this season.

Jordan Poyer Aims To Play In 2025; S Would Prefer Bills Reunion

May 15th, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Adam La Rose

In 2024, the Bills had neither Micah Hyde nor Jordan Poyer on the field at the safety position. The former spent the campaign on the practice squad and has since retired, while the latter played in Miami upon being released last March.

Poyer remains on the market well past the draft, and a second season with the Dolphins should not be expected. The 34-year-old knows his career is nearing an end, but he does not intend to join Hyde in retirement at this point. Poyer made it clear during an appearance on Good Morning Football he is looking to play in 2025.

“I’m in a place right now where I played 12 years, extremely thankful and blessed to have played the game for such a long time,” Poyer said (via NFL.com). “Would I like to play again? Absolutely. Whatever that looks like… It’d be dope, it’d be ideal to have a fantasy ending and be able to retire a Bill, but who knows? I’m just being an open book right now, really enjoying life for what it is.”

Poyer began his Buffalo tenure in 2017, and he remained a full-time starter with the team for seven years. The tandem which was in place with Hyde was among the league’s best for a time, but Buffalo went in a different direction in 2024. Hyde was replaced in the starting lineup while Poyer was released. That led to an intra-AFC East deal, but it did not yield the desired result. The former seventh-rounder was held without an interception for the second straight year on a Dolphins team which fell short of the postseason.

Between that and his age, Poyer will be hard-pressed to generate a notable market for his services in 2025. Buffalo has veterans Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin still in place along with 2024 second-rounder Cole Bishop. The Bills’ most recent draft leaned heavily on defense, but it did not include any new safeties being brought in. A low-cost deal over one year would likely be sufficient to bring about a reunion in this case, but Buffalo sits second-last in the league with only $1.77MM in cap space at the moment.

Fellow veteran safeties Justin Simmons and Julian Blackmon are also on the market at this point. They may have new deals in place before Poyer does, whether that takes the form of another Bills pact or one sending him to another team during the waning stages of his career.

FA Notes: Bucs, Mack, Dolphins, Holland, Panthers, Titans, Giants, Bills, Falcons

March 7th, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers did not see their Joe Tryon-Shoyinka first-round pick pay off, and the 2021 draftee is close to hitting free agency. As the Bucs prepares a pass-rushing plan for 2025, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler connects Khalil Mack to the team. Also mentioning the Bears (a previously noted Mack suitor), Fowler notes the Bucs are looking for pass-rushing help. The team has YaYa Diaby under contract for two more seasons, but it has struggled to find a complementary piece since Shaquil Barrett began to decline post-Achilles surgery. Anthony Nelson, who posted four sacks last season, is nearing free agency as well.

While the Bucs have D-line regulars Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, they will need to look for a second OLB starter. Mack rebounded from an injury-marred 2021 season by starting all but one game in three Chargers years. He soared to 17.5 sacks in 2023 but saw his usage rate drop and his sack total along with it (to six) in 2024. Mack, however, has been a durable player and one of this era’s best edge rushers. Although he considered retirement this offseason, the Chargers want him back. The 34-year-old’s market will be interesting.

Here is the latest from the free agent market:

  • A player who will command more in total than Mack, Jevon Holland is likely this year’s top safety available. PFR’s No. 6 free agent, Holland escaped the franchise tag deadline and may be poised to follow Robert Hunt and Christian Wilkins out of Miami. The Panthers and Titans are expected to show interest in the four-year Dolphins starter, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes. Holland’s market is likely to stretch past $15MM per year and could reach $20MM AAV, Wolfe adds. Antoine Winfield Jr. is the highest-paid safety, at $21MM per annum; no one else has reached $20MM. The Dolphins are still interested, but the former second-rounder will carry a robust market. If Holland leaves, the Dolphins would need two new safety starters; Jordan Poyer is not expected back, per Wolfe.
  • The Giants are bracing to lose Azeez Ojulari in free agency, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy writes. Considering their investments in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it has looked for months like Ojulari would depart. Despite an extensive injury history, Ojulari has been productive when available. He registered 22 sacks on his rookie deal, including six last season as he filled in for an injured Thibodeaux. After holding onto Ojulari at the deadline, the Giants would only recoup a compensatory pick — depending on the team’s FA activity — once he leaves.
  • The Falcons finished 31st in sacks last season, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes they are doing heavy research on defense in the draft. This comes after Atlanta’s effort to trade back into Round 1 for a defender, after the surprising Michael Penix Jr. pick, failed. As the team changes DCs for a third straight year, Fowler adds it is expected to also pursue defensive upgrades in free agency. The Falcons are expected to let Matt Judon hit the market, and Ledbetter adds fellow OLB Lorenzo Carter is also likely to hit free agency. A pass-rushing overhaul, as Grady Jarrett may be on the trade block, may be afoot in Atlanta.
  • Count the Panthers as a team also readying to bolster its defense in free agency, Fowler adds. Carolina fell from fourth in total defense to 32nd last season, and while they are again retaining DC Ejiro Evero, the DC should have more to work with in 2025. After Carolina traded Burns and did not do much to replace him, it is safe to expect a pass-rushing pursuit to commence. Safety Xavier Woods will be among the Panthers who will test the market next week, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. He will join kicker Eddy Pineiro in doing so.
  • Preston Smith has lingered in free agency for a bit, after his Steelers release, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes the Bills are believed to have interest. Although Smith (4.5 sacks last season) signed two healthy Packers contracts, it will not take too much to land the 32-year-old EDGE after he disappointed as a Steelers deadline addition.

Dolphins To Sign S Jordan Poyer

March 12th, 2024 at 5:38pm CST by Ben Levine

After getting cut by the Bills last week, Jordan Poyer is joining a division rival. The veteran safety is signing with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’ll be a one-year deal for Poyer.

The safety was set to earn $5.5MM in 2024 and was attached to a $7.72MM cap hit. With a roster bonus due later in March, the Bills decided to move on from their defensive mainstay. The move created $5.72MM in cap space for Buffalo while generating a dead money charge of $2MM.

The former seventh-rounder tested his value on the open market last offseason. After failing to receive much in the way of outside interest, he agreed to a two-year, $12.5MM re-up in Buffalo. That was his third contract with the organization, with Poyer having originally signed with the Bills back in 2017 before inking an extension in 2020.

Poyer earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, and he received a Pro Bowl invite the following season. After racking up a combined nine interceptions and 17 pass deflections during that span, however, those totals fell to zero and four in 2023. Pro Football Focus graded Poyer 46th among 95 qualifying safeties in 2023, the second-straight year he’s finished near the middle of the pack at his position.

Considering the relatively deep safeties free agent class, Poyer’s declining production, and the veteran’s rising age, he wasn’t expected to garner a long-term commitment from any teams. The Dolphins are a logical landing spot considering both DeShon Elliott and Brandon Jones hit free agency. The team did re-sign Elijah Campbell, but he profiles as more of a backup. The Dolphins can now confidently pencil in Poyer opposite Jevon Holland.

Bills Release S Jordan Poyer, CB Siran Neal

March 6th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

In need of cost-shedding moves in the lead-in to free agency, the Bills are moving on from Jordan Poyer. The veteran safety is being released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team has since confirmed the move.

Poyer had been a Bills mainstay over the past seven years, remaining a full-time starter and enjoying his most productive seasons in Buffalo. One year remained on his pact, and the 33-year-old was due $5.5MM. Poyer’s cap hit was set to be $7.72MM, though, and $760K of his salary was due to become guaranteed on March 18. Moving on will create $5.72MM in cap space while generating a dead money charge of $2MM.

Buffalo first inked Poyer in 2017, and extended him in 2020. A free agent departure was a distinct possibility last offseason, and the former seventh-rounder tested his value on the open market. After failing to receive much in the way of outside interest, he agreed to a two-year, $12.5MM re-up in Buffalo. Halfway through that pact, he will now seek out a new team as he looks to continue his career.

Buffalo safety partner Micah Hyde is a pending free agent, but his playing future is uncertain. Given the questions surrounding Hyde’s willingness to work out another Bills pact – and the interest the team would have in one – as well as today’s move, the position is on track to see notable turnover this offseason. Both Hyde and Poyer had been in place as full-time starters for the past seven years.

The latter remained productive through much of his Buffalo tenure. Poyer earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, and he received a Pro Bowl invite the following season. After racking up a combined nine interceptions and 17 pass deflections during that span, however, those totals fell to zero and four in 2023. Between a drop-off in production and concerns about his age, Poyer could be hard-pressed to land a lucrative deal with a new team in free agency (something which figures to have a number of veteran safeties available).

Depth corner and special teamer Siran Neal is also being released, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That move will free up roughly $2.9MM in cap space; one year remained on Neal’s contract. The 29-year-old had been with the Bills since 2018, playing 97 games and logging a heavy workload on special teams along the way. While Buffalo’s third phase will take a hit with this move, the team will move closer to cap compliance as a result of it.

Even with Poyer and Neal off the books, Buffalo still sits $32.5MM over the cap ceiling. Teams must be under the limit by the start of the new league year next week, so further moves will be required over the coming days. The Bills’ secondary, meanwhile, will feature a number of new faces in 2024.

Bills To Open Von Miller’s Practice Window

October 5th, 2023 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Parks

OCTOBER 5: After experiencing no speedbumps during the Bills’ wing of practices in Buffalo ahead of their London game, the future Hall of Famer is making the trip to England, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Bills have nearly three weeks to activate Miller from the PUP list, but making the trip ahead of the Jaguars matchup represents a good sign of a Week 5 return.

OCTOBER 1: Bills defensive end Von Miller opened the season on the PUP list as he continues to recover from the ACL tear that ended his 2022 campaign prematurely. That meant that Miller would miss at least the first four games of the season but would be eligible to return for Buffalo’s Week 5 contest against the Jaguars next Sunday.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bills are opening Miller’s practice window, and the future Hall of Famer will resume practicing this week. Once that happens, the club will have three weeks to add him to the 53-man roster, and if they do not do so, he will be ineligible to return this season.

Obviously, the Bills would not open the practice window if they did not believe Miller was close to game-ready (indeed, at the beginning of August, GM Brandon Beane expressed optimism that Miller would suit up for Week 1). However, that does not necessarily mean that Miller will be in the lineup in Week 5. As Schefter notes, Buffalo will continue to be cautious with Miller, and there is not yet a definitive return date.

Now 34, Miller signed a six-year, $120MM contract with the Bills in March 2022. In his first season in western New York, which lasted just 11 games, the eight-time Pro Bowler posted eight sacks and was viewed as one of the league’s best all-around defenders in the eyes of Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. This offseason, Buffalo signed Leonard Floyd as something of a contingency plan, and Floyd has acquitted himself nicely, posting 3.5 sacks through the first three games of 2023.

Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa have also had some success this season, but the return of Miller will nonetheless be a welcome development for a team that has designs on a deep postseason run. The team currently ranks second in the league in terms of total defense, points allowed, and sacks, and Miller’s presence will make an already-imposing unit even more formidable.

In other news, safety Damar Hamlin is making his 2023 debut against the Dolphins today. While Hamlin participated in all three of the Bills’ preseason games, this will mark the third-year pro’s first regular season action since he collaped on the field due to commotio cordis in a Bills-Bengals game in January. Hamlin’s inspiring recovery has now come full circle, and he has taken the place of the injured Jordan Poyer on the active roster.

Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott To Vie For Dolphins S Job

July 6th, 2023 at 10:57am CST by Sam Robinson

In Jevon Holland, the Dolphins have a locked-in safety starter. The 2021 second-round pick has become one of the NFL’s better back-line defenders. As Vic Fangio prepares for his first training camp as Miami’s defensive coordinator, a key question will involve the other safety position.

The Dolphins did not operate aggressively in free agency here, likely for multiple reasons. One of them: a belief in Brandon Jones. The fourth-year safety is coming off a torn ACL, but the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes the team is high enough on the returning starter it did not pursue a high- or mid-level contract with a veteran safety.

A 2020 third-round pick, Jones has started 24 career games — including 20 over the past two seasons — and formed a promising tandem with Holland. But the Dolphins did not stand down entirely in free agency. The team did not make a notable offer to Jordan Poyer, per Jackson, despite the Bills safety being intrigued by a warm-weather city with a friendlier tax code. (Poyer re-signed with the Bills.) But Miami did sign former Baltimore and Detroit safety DeShon Elliott, adding the fifth-year veteran for just $1.77MM.

These two will vie for the position alongside Holland, per Jackson. Both players are coming off injuries. Jones’ ACL tear occurred in Week 7, while Elliott played through a shoulder injury to close his 2022 Lions run. The shoulder problem limited Elliott this offseason as well, but the former sixth-round pick is expected to be fine for the start of Miami’s regular season. As such, he poses a threat to Jones’ job in the latter’s contract year.

Jones, 25, and Elliott, 26, were teammates at Texas in the late 2010s. The latter has started 35 career games, earning a job alongside Chuck Clark. Elliott started 16 games for the Ravens in 2020 and six in 2021; the Lions gave Elliott 13 starts last season. Of course, Detroit struggled on defense for much of the season and has since overhauled its secondary. This will lead Elliott — Pro Football Focus’ No. 45 overall safety last season — into Fangio’s scheme.

PFF rated Jones 64th overall in 2022, though his coverage stats revealed improvement in that area. Prior to the knee injury, the plus blitzer (five sacks in 2021) held a 62.5% completion rate allowed as the closest defender and allowed a 78.0 passer rating. Both marks were significantly better than Jones’ 2021 coverage performance, though Fangio’s zone-based system will mark a change from a Josh Boyer scheme that capitalized on Jones’ blitzing skill.

The Dolphins have Holland signed to his rookie deal through the 2024 season. With two big-ticket cornerback contracts on their books (for Xavien Howard and trade acquisition Jalen Ramsey), that will prove important. The team also used its top draft choice (No. 51 overall) on former South Carolina nickel Cam Smith. With big investments at four of their five DB spots, the Dolphins will count on low-cost production from the other post. The loser of the ex-Longhorns’ competition will represent quality depth.

Bills To Re-Sign S Jordan Poyer

March 17th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 17: Poyer agreed to terms on a deal that comes in at a lower rate than his previous Buffalo pact. The Bills are giving the All-Pro safety a two-year deal worth $12.5MM, Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News tweets. The contract maxes out at $14.5MM, via incentives, with O’Halloran adding $760K of Poyer’s 2024 money becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2024 league year. That date will be significant for Poyer, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adding (Twitter link) the 11th-year defender’s $4.74MM base salary for next season becomes guaranteed then.

MARCH 15: Although the Bills let Tremaine Edmunds walk earlier this week, they are planning to retain their other priority free agent. Jordan Poyer is expected to re-sign with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This will be Poyer’s third Bills contract. The veteran safety signed with the team in 2017 and later reached an extension agreement. The Bills are now keeping the 11th-year defender around for at least a seventh season with the team. It is a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Poyer sought a second Bills extension last year, but when nothing materialized, he spoke with other teams this week. The market did not produce what he wanted, with Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com noting Poyer felt his age affected his value here (Twitter link). The longtime Buffalo safety is 32, so he is probably right. But he earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and made the Pro Bowl last season. The Bills will bet on Poyer continuing to be productive in his early 30s.

The Bills have obtained considerable value from Poyer, who has been instrumental in the team’s rise during Sean McDermott‘s tenure. Months after being hired, McDermott signed off on a four-year, $13MM deal for Poyer, whose profile at the time was nowhere near where it is today. Following two playoff trips with Poyer and safety tandem partner Micah Hyde, the Bills extended both. Poyer signed a two-year, $19MM extension in 2020. Given his view of an age-limited market this year, it should not be expected his third Bills pact will exceed his second by much.

The Raiders looked into Poyer but ended up signing ex-Eagle Marcus Epps on a two-year, $12MM accord. Hyde is already attached to a two-year, $19.25MM pact. Vonn Bell also failed to land an eight-figure-per-year deal on this year’s market, despite being only 28.

The Bills have managed to keep their top-flight safety duo together on middle-class contracts. Hyde is coming off a season in which a neck injury sidelined him in September, and Damar Hamlin‘s cardiac arrest brought the NFL to a standstill in January. Hamlin has made remarkable strides and wants to play again, but it is unknown when that will come to pass.

Poyer has started 91 games with the Bills and has intercepted nine passes over the past two. Last season, Pro Football Focus slotted the former seventh-round pick 48th overall among safeties. But the former Eagles draftee has been in McDermott’s system for six seasons. With the Bills set to have a new defensive coordinator in 2023, he and Hyde stand to benefit the new McDermott lieutenant after Edmunds’ departure.

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