Bills Safety Micah Hyde May Be Forced Into Big Role Against Lions

Former Bills safety Micah Hyde on October 26, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York.
After rejoining the Buffalo Bills earlier this month, veteran safety Micah Hyde could be forced to take on a significant role as the team faces its biggest defense challenge of the season.

Hyde hinted for months that he would be open to returning to the Bills for one final NFL season, and the Bills announced on Dec. 4 that he had signed to their practice squad. Though Bills head coach Sean McDermott stressed at the time that Hyde wasn’t coming to take anyone’s job, a series of injuries could thrust the veteran into action against the offensive-minded Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Bills Nursing Injuries in the Secondary
The Bills could be missing two starting safeties on Sunday against the Lions, listing Taylor Rappy and Damar Hamlin as questionable on Friday’s injury report. Though both were able to practice in a limited capacity on Friday, it remains unclear whether they will be healthy enough to suit up against the Lions.

As Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports noted, the Bills could be forced to turn both to Hyde and a practice squad safety to fill the void.

“Might we see safeties Micah Hyde AND Lewis Cine elevated/play on Sunday?” Trapasso wrote in a post on X.

McDermott hinted when Hyde initially signed that the veteran would be joining largely for a leadership role, helping the team’s young defensive backs develop while providing an insurance policy in case of injury.

“I say this respectfully, [expecting] very little [from Hyde]. We’re in a good spot. Very confident in the guys that have played there all season long and have done both a nice job,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “Very little from, hey, you’re going to come in and you’re going to play and you’re going to help. It’s just, let’s just take it one day at a time.”

Hyde initially signed with the Bills in 2017, helping anchor a defense that broke the team’s 17-year playoff drought then grew into a perennial Super Bowl contender. He has not played since the team’s divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

Hyde could face a challenge in his first game back with the Bills, facing a Lions offense that leads the league in scoring. The Bills trail the Chiefs by two games for the No. 1 spot in the AFC, and an upset of the Lions could help keep them in the race for a playoff bye.

Big Opportunity for Lewis Cine
Cine, a former 2022 first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, signed with Buffalo’s practice squad in August after missing the final cut in Minnesota. Though he initially committed to signing with the New York Jets, Cine changed course and joined the Bills.

Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN suggested that a coaching connection may have helped Cine choose Buffalo over New York.

“Cine, 24, also has a connection on the coaching staff through cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae, who coached defensive backs at Georgia in 2021,” Getzenberg wrote.

Cine has yet to appear in a game for the Bills this season, but could be elevated for Sunday’s game against the Lions as a precaution if Rapp or Hamlin are not able to play.