After losing Daniel Jones for the rest of the season, the Indianapolis Colts pulled off what could be considered the biggest shock of the NFL in bringing in quarterback Phillip Rivers onto their practice squad. Rivers was with the Colts for his final season in 2020 and with the Colts having the biggest quarterback problem in the league, bringing in Rivers gives them atleast leadership, but that just be all.
At 44 years old and not having played since 2020, this will be interesting to see how this reunion works out, if it even goes anywhere. In the spirit of this scenario coming true, we put together a list of Bills legends that fans would love or would have loved to see come out of retirement to join the Bills again.
Who would Bills fans love to see return to Orchard Park?
DT Kyle Williams
The best player the Bills had in their 17-year playoff drought was defensive tackle, Kyle Williams. He was the heart and soul of the Bills for a very long time, and was only rewarded one playoff game in his career. However, he played his entire career with the Bills and has forever won over the respect of the fans.
As a former 5th-round pick out of LSU back in 2006, Williams exceeded expectations and was part of some dominant defensive lines that Buffalo had during the drought. He finished his career as a six-time Pro Bowler. While Williams didn’t get the chance to experience playoff success, he did have the chance to walk away from the game with a win over the Miami Dolphins.
RB Fred Jackson
If it wasn’t for Kyle Williams, former Bills running back Fred Jackson would have been at the top as one of the best players for the franchise in their drought. In eight seasons with the Bills, Jackson was a hard runner who wasn’t afraid of contact. He knew how to rally a team and knew what it took to lead a group of players into battle.
With Jackson, he was part of a running back committee with both Marshawn Lynch, and then eventually C.J. Spiller. Jackson’s last season in Buffalo was in 2014, before he played his final season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Could you imagine pairing Jackson with James Cook? Oh boy.
DE Bruce Smith
One of Buffalo’s biggest issues this season is having a consistent pass rush. Could you imagine seeing Bruce Smith back on the field causing havoc? Yes I know, Smith hasn’t played a down in the NFL since 2003 so obviously this wouldn’t be realistic. However, one can dream.
Smith is considered one of, if not the greatest edge rusher of all time. As an eight time First-Team All-Pro and being voted to the Pro Bowl 11 times, Smith established himself as one of the best that has ever played the game. He finished his career with 200 sacks, which is still the most in a career by any player.
WR/ST Steve Tasker
First off, I’m going to say it. Steve Tasker belongs in the Hall of Fame, no matter what anyone says. While he was listed as a wide receiver, Tasker is known for his special teams contributions where he absolutely dominated the game. As a seven time Pro Bowler, his leadership and determination is something that this Bills team could use.
S Micah Hyde
I’m taking a bit of a different route, but it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. Sure, there are plenty of other players to pick from, but Micah Hyde was one of the cornerstone players that helped turn the Bills into a contender starting in 2017. He and Jordan Poyer became the best safety duo in the league for quite some time.
Hyde was a ballhawk who had great vision for knowing where the ball was going. When the Bills signed him in 2017, he was a huge steal for them. It’s too bad that he didn’t get the chance to experience a Super Bowl with Buffalo because he very well deserved it with the way he played for the Bills.