Source: Bills RB Hines expected to miss season

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills have misplaced a key particular groups participant and an offensive weapon earlier than coaching camp even will get began. Working Nyheim Hines has suffered what is anticipated to be a season-ending knee damage away from the workforce’s facility, per a supply.

Hines, 26, was set to enter camp because the workforce’s major kick and punt returner and compete for alternatives at working again with Damian Harris and Latavius Murraywho have been each acquired this offseason. The Payments traded for Hines on the commerce deadline final 12 months in trade for sending working again Zack Moss and what became a fifth-round choose.

In the course of the 2022 season, Hines was hardly ever used on offense, ending with 13 whole touches.

“I feel it will likely be simpler in an offseason to get in the entire playbook, get the texture,” common supervisor Brandon Beane stated on Hines’ lack of touches on the finish of final 12 months. “You type of set up much more issues than you do in season. So, yeah, I imply, in an ideal world, woulda liked to get him extra touches and hopefully that may occur subsequent season.”

He had 16 punt returns and 19 kick returns within the common season. Two of these returns shall be remembered for a very long time in Payments historical past with Hines returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in opposition to the New England Patriots within the closing recreation of the common season and the primary since Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest in Cincinnati.

The workforce’s working again room was revamped this offseason with second-year again James Cook set to get an elevated position with the workforce’s earlier main again, Devin Singletarynow with the Houston Texans. With out Hines, the choices behind Prepare dinner, with Harris and Murray, are greater backs outdoors of undrafted free agent Jordan Mimswho may now get extra of a chance in camp. It might not be a shock to see the workforce add to the group with Hines’ damage as there at the moment are solely 4 backs on the roster for camp.

The workforce’s veterans are reporting to camp on Tuesday with the primary follow set for Wednesday at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y.

Hines’ contract was restructured this offseason to scale back his cap hit this 12 months from $4.79M to $3.5M, saving the workforce about $1.3 million. Within the restructure, he additionally obtained a $1 million signing bonus, unfold out over this 12 months and subsequent, with a complete of $2 million assured on his contract.

Hines’ damage was first reported by the NFL Community.