Jordan Poyer unsure if the Buffalo Bills want to bring him back next season
One of the top free agents for the Buffalo Bills this offseason is starting safety Jordan Poyer. He has been a key part of this defense for six years now and over the past two years has earned his first career first-team All-Pro nomination (2021) and his first career Pro Bowl selection (2022).
Even though he will be 32 years old at the start of the 2023 season, he is playing some of the best football of his career. It would make sense that the Buffalo Bills would look to bring him back but that doesn’t appear to be the case based on a recent interview with The Buffalo News.
Buffalo Bills have not discussed a new contract with Jordan Poyer
According to Jay Skurski with The Buffalo News, he asked Poyer about his future and the starting safety had this to say:
"“To be honest, I don’t know where I stand with the Bills. That’s just how I feel. I don’t know how the front office feels about bringing me back. I was never offered anything. Everybody knew my situation coming into the season and knew I wanted to remain in Buffalo before the season started. Stuff happened. I came to training camp, got hurt. There was never any talk about an extension, so I’m going to enjoy this process. I’m going to take it for what it is, and if Buffalo wants me back, they’ll find a way. If not, I’m going to move on.”"
This is certainly surprising considering what Jordan Poyer has meant to this defense alongside Micah Hyde as the starting safeties over the past few years. In his six seasons with the Bills, he has started 91 games and had 22 interceptions, 44 passes defended, 10 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.
This past season, the Bills were 13-1, including the playoffs, when Poyer was in the lineup but only 1-3 in the four games he missed due to injuries. While his absence isn’t the only reason the team lost those games, the records are a good representation of just how much he meant to their success.
The comment by Jordan Poyer also doesn’t mean that the Buffalo Bills at some point prior to the start of free agency won’t discuss a contract with the starting safety but it would appear that the team is ready to look for a new safety for the upcoming season.
Jordan Poyer was later asked if he was hurt by the lack of interest and he said that “This is business.” He also went on to say that he feels there is unfinished business in Buffalo so the door appears open and it really is up to the Buffalo Bills how to proceed.