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Jordan Poyer

Bills Sign Jordan Poyer, Jordan Phillips To Active Roster; Ed Oliver Placed On IR

October 28th, 2025 at 4:31pm CST by Connor Byrne

Gearing up for a key showdown with the Chiefs on Sunday, the Bills announced that they’ve signed safety Jordan Poyer and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the practice squad to the active roster.

The team also placed defensive tackle Ed Oliver on injured reserve, a formality after he suffered a biceps tear in a win over the Panthers last Sunday. Oliver, who will undergo surgery, could return in the event of “a lengthy playoff run,” per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.

A Bill from 2017-23 and half of a top-tier safety tandem with Micah Hyde for a large portion of that stretch, Poyer spent last season with AFC East rival Miami after Buffalo released him. While Poyer made 16 starts for the Dolphins in 2024, he went without an interception for the second year in a row and was unable to land a deal until the Bills added him to their practice squad in late August.

In an ideal situation, the Bills may not have had to use the 34-year-old Poyer much (if at all) this season. They entered the campaign with Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop as their starting safeties. Damar Hamlin was in the fold as a prominent depth piece.

Bishop, the team leader in defensive snaps, is still standing. However, Rapp went on IR ahead of Week 8 with a nagging knee injury, and Hamlin has been on shelf since Oct. 11 with a pectoral issue. Head coach Sean McDermott didn’t seem optimistic that Hamlin would return this year when the team placed him on IR.

With Rapp and Hamlin down, Poyer played in his second game of the season in Week 8. The former first-team All-Pro logged 45 defensive snaps and five tackles in a 40-9 victory in Carolina. Barring the acquisition of a safety by the Nov. 4 trade deadline, which is reportedly a possibility, the Bills will go forward with Poyer and Bishop as their primary options at the position. Cam Lewis and Jordan Hancock are around in depth roles.

Phillips, now in his third stint with the Bills, has already received three standard gameday elevations from the practice squad this season. That’s the maximum number, meaning the Bills had no choice but to sign Phillips to their active roster in order to use him again. The 33-year-old played 23 defensive snaps against the Panthers and could see more action with injuries eating away at the interior of Buffalo’s line.

Along with Oliver, the Bills are dealing with the long-term absence of second-round rookie T.J. Sanders, who has been on IR with a knee injury since Oct. 11. Meanwhile, veteran starter DaQuan Jones has missed back-to-back games with a calf injury. It’s unclear whether Jones will play against the Chiefs. If not, Phillips will join fourth-round rookie Deone Walker and Larry Ogunjobi as the Bills’ top D-tackle options for Week 9.

Oliver missed four games earlier this year with an ankle injury, but his biceps tear is a massive shot to a Buffalo defense that hasn’t been able to contain opposing ground attacks in 2025. The Bills rank 31st in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed (150.3). That may be something for general manager Brandon Beane to address ahead of the deadline.

Bills Activate Maxwell Hairston From IR

October 25th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Connor Byrne

Bills first-round rookie Maxwell Hairston is finally set for his NFL debut. The team announced that it has activated the cornerback from injured reserve.

The 30th overall pick from Kentucky, Hairston entered the summer competing with Tre’Davious White for the Bills’ No. 2 corner job opposite Christian Benford. Hairston suffered an LCL injury early in training camp, though, leading to an IR placement for him and a starting role for White.

At 30 years old and having dealt with two major injuries in recent seasons (a torn ACL and an Achilles tear), White has struggled to regain his past form in 2025. Benford has also failed to impress after landing a four-year, $69MM extension last offseason.

To make matters worse for the Bills, they’ve been thin at boundary corner behind Benford and White. Another one of their rookies, sixth-rounder Dorian Strong, went on IR with a neck injury after Week 4. He may not return this season. With Strong and Hairston out, the Bills have been down to Ja’Marcus Ingram – a healthy inactive multiple times in 2025 – as their third outside corner in recent weeks.

The addition of Hairston will provide some much-needed playmaking ability and speed to the Bills’ secondary. The team’s corners have gone without an interception during a 4-2 start in which the defense has picked off just two passes. Hairston racked up five INTs in 2023, though he totaled just one over seven games in an injury-limited year last season. The 5-foot-11, 183-pounder then ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.28), which no doubt contributed to the Bills’ decision to draft him.

After missing the Bills’ first six games, Hairston returned to practice this past Monday. The Bills would have had 21 days to activate him, but head coach Sean McDermott will bring him into the fold much quicker than that. Hairston will debut Sunday against the Panthers as the Bills try to snap a two-game losing streak.

Safety Jordan Poyer and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips will join Hairston on Buffalo’s active roster in Week 8. The team, which is banged up at both positions, elevated the pair of Jordans from the practice squad on Saturday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/25

October 13th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from around the NFL,including practice squad elevations for all four teams playing on Monday Night Football:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed off Ravens’ practice squad: S J.T. Gray

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

  • Waived: OL Isaac Alarcon

Washington Commanders

The Bears elevated Moody to kick in their Monday night matchup with the Commanders with Cairo Santos sidelined by a quad injury.

Bills To Place T.J. Sanders, Damar Hamlin On IR

October 11th, 2025 at 11:46am CST by Connor Byrne

The Bills will place defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and safety Damar Hamlin on injured reserve, head coach Sean McDermott announced (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). Sanders will undergo knee surgery, while Hamlin is dealing with a pectoral injury. Both players will miss at least four games. It’s more likely that Sanders will return than Hamlin this year, McDermott said.

The Bills moved up in last spring’s draft to grab Sanders with the 41st overall pick. The former South Carolina standout has gotten off to a slow start in the NFL. Over four games and 111 defensive snaps, Sanders has picked up two tackles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his performance 115th among 120 qualifying defensive tackles.

Although Sanders has struggled in the early going, losing him is an unwelcome hit to the Bills’ depth. They’ve already gone without their best defensive tackle, Ed Oliver, in every game since his tremendous Week 1 effort in a win over the Ravens. Oliver has been down with an ankle injury over the past few weeks, but he could return against the Falcons on Monday night.

If Oliver comes back this week, he’ll comprise the Bills’ top two at DT alongside DaQuan Jones. Rookie fourth-rounder Deone Walker, who has played well, is also in the mix. The Bills have Zion Logue, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis on their practice squad. Offseason free agent addition Larry Ogunjobi will be eligible to return from a six-game PED suspension after Buffalo’s Week 7 bye.

Logue has already received three standard gameday elevations this year, meaning the Bills will have to sign him to their active roster if they want to bring him back for a fourth game. Phillips and Mathis have gotten one call-up apiece, and the former is a candidate for a permanent roster spot in the wake of Sanders’ injury, according to Buscaglia.

Hamlin was a 14-game starter who logged 98% of defensive snaps in 2024, leading the Bills to re-sign him to a one-year, $2MM deal in the offseason. His playing time has significantly decreased this year, though. Hamlin has taken a backseat to second-year safety Cole Bishop and worked on a mere 4.2% of defensive snaps. It’s possible that the Bills will add former All-Pro and current practice squad safety Jordan Poyer to their roster to take Hamlin’s place, Buscaglia reports.

Poyer, now 34, was consistently one of Buffalo’s most valuable defenders during his previous stint with them from 2017-23. After the Bills released him in March 2024, Poyer hooked on with the division-rival Dolphins and made 16 starts for them last season. On the heels of his second straight interception-less year, Poyer went without a deal until the Bills signed him to their practice squad in late August. A month and a half later, Poyer may be on his way back to their active roster.

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.

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