The Buffalo Bills have won four straight AFC East titles and it is due to a lot of players that unfortunately are no longer on the team. The front office had to make some tough decisions due to salary cap issues and key parts of the team for a few years are now in different uniforms.
The Buffalo Bills won't have to wait too long to see some of these players again and have to game plan for them. These are some of the former players the Bills will be playing in 2024.
5 games on the Buffalo Bills schedule including former starters
Miami Dolphins (Week 2/Week 9)
Jordan Poyer, Siran Neal
The first notable player is in Week 2 when the Buffalo Bills travel to Miami to play the Dolphins in Thursday Night Football. It is the first game on Amazon Prime this season and will be the first time that Jordan Poyer will be playing the team he spent the previous seven seasons with.
Poyer and Micah Hyde were key parts of one of the top secondaries in the NFL and he will now be paired with Jevon Holland, one of the top young safeties in the league. In addition to Poyer, the Bills will see Siran Neal who likely will be a key part of the Dolphins special teams, a role he played in Buffalo.
Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 3)
Gabe Davis, Mitch Morse
The very next week, the Buffalo Bills return for a home prime time game and once again will be playing two former teammates in Gabe Davis and Mitch Morse. Davis was a fourth round pick by the Bills in 2020 and became a starter the past two seasons for the offense.
He was a free agent this offseason and would get a big three-year contract as the Jaguars tried to re-invent their wide receiver position with Calvin Ridley leaving for Tennessee and Zay Jones being released. Davis will now be asked to be that top receiver and lead the group.
One of the biggest surprises this offseason was the release of Mitch Morse, who has been the starting center for a few years now. He has been a consistent presence on the interior of the offensive line and leaves a big hole that likely is replaced by Connor McGovern.
Houston Texans (Week 5)
Stefon Diggs
The biggest 'revenge' game on the 2024 schedule is likely in Week 5 between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. One of the top surprises of the offseason was the Bills trading wide receiver Stefon Diggs, along with multiple Day 3 picks, to the Texans for a 2025 second round pick.
It was surprising because Diggs had such a big dead cap hit that he was considered almost untradable from the Bills perspective. However, general manager Brandon Beane for some reason felt it was now time to make the move and bring the offense in almost an entirely different direction.
There is no question that Diggs is going to be motivated to prove the Bills made a mistake trading him when he did. This will also be a big test for Josh Allen as he looks to prove that he can still be a top quarterback without his number one wide receiver.
Los Angeles Rams (Week 14)
Tre'Davious White
The final notable former Buffalo Bills player who will be playing is old team is cornerback Tre'Davious White. He would be Sean McDermott's first draft pick after being named head coach in the 2017 NFL Draft and stepped in as a starter immediately. He would make the Pro Bowl twice and be named first-team All-Pro once and second-team All-Pro once.
He was on his way to being one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL but injuries had a major impact on his performance the past few seasons after a torn ACL in 2021 and then a torn Achilles last year. The Bills would release White and he would end up signing with the Los Angeles Rams.
The biggest question will be whether or not White is recovered from the torn Achilles and able to play. The fact that the game is in Week 14 certainly helps his chances to play his former team but as he showed returning from his torn ACL, White might not be that lockdown corner that he was earlier in his career.