Buffalo Bills 2022 Free Agent Profile: Defensive end Jerry Hughes

The Buffalo Bills have a number of defensive ends set to be free agents and there may not be a more notable name than Jerry Hughes. He has been a fixture on this defense for almost a decade now and is the longest-tenured player on the Bills.

However, the front office now has to make a decision if they change the position with Jerry Hughes a free agent this offseason. Let’s take a look at his career, what he did last year and if Buffalo should re-sign him.

Career Overview

Jerry Hughes was a first round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2010. However, he looked like he was going to be a bust in his first three years with Indianapolis with only seven starts and five sacks during that stretch. He was traded prior to the 2014 season to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kelvin Sheppard.

There is no question that Hughes’ best seasons came in Buffalo and he had double digit sacks in each of his first two years. He has also shown to be very durable with only one missed game over his nine seasons with Buffalo.

For his career, he has 412 total tackles, 84 tackles for a loss, and 58 sacks.

2021 Season Recap

This past season, Hughes would appear in every game and played 52% of the defensive snaps. As the years have gone on, the Bills have rotated defensive ends frequently and this has helped keep his workload manageable in the latter stages of his career.

This past season, Hughes had 18 total tackles and two sacks during the regular season with an added sack in the playoffs.

Should the Buffalo Bills re-sign Jerry Hughes?

While the sack total is somewhat concerning and has steadily decreased over the years, he still does a good job pressuring the quarterback. Pro Football Focus has Hughes graded as the eighth-best among edge rushers when it comes to pressuring the quarterback with an 89.9 grade.

However, when considering how frequently the Buffalo Bills rotate defensive ends, this could be a perfect fit for the veteran to sign a short-term deal (one or two years) and move towards being a situational pass rusher. An added benefit would be the fact that Hughes can provide leadership to a rather young group of players.

The Buffalo Bills likely want Jerry Hughes back and if the salaries make sense for both sides, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back next year.