When Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane arrived in Buffalo in 2017 from the Carolina Panthers, they had been known for having a Buffalo-Carolina connection where it seemed like players from both teams were swapping with each team. We had seen players from Caroline come up to Buffalo, and players from Buffalo head down to Carolina. The most notable name that played for both the Bills and Panthers was wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.
We have learned that a former Panther and Bill who played in McDermott’s defense is calling it a career. Linebacker A.J. Klein announced on his Instagram (via Alaina Getzenberg), that he is retiring from the NFL.
Klein was drafted to the Panthers in 2013 in the 5th round in which he was a mixture of a rotational piece and a starter all four years there. After the 2016 season, Klein opted to stay in the NFC South to join the New Orleans Saints. He became a full-time starter there for three years before eventually joining the Buffalo Bills in 2020.
During his time with the Bills, Klein had some shining games where he looked like the best player on the Buffalo defense. One game in particular that stands out for Klein took place in 2020 against the Seattle Seahawks where he had 2 sacks, 5 total tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
After two full seasons in Buffalo, Klein would then spend brief time with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens before signing back with the Bills late last season to help the Bills in the playoffs. He was never a star for Buffalo, but he knew McDermott’s system and was able to correct his mistakes on the go.
It would not be surprising to see Beane call and check in with Klein should an injury occur this year to someone like Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard. However, it looks like Klein may not be looking to make a comeback, even if the opportunity presents itself.