The Buffalo Bills just lost one of the most important pieces of their special teams and running back room for the entire 2023 season. Nyheim Hines is expected to miss all of the 2023 season with a knee injury, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
Bills RB Nyheim Hines expected to miss 2023 season after suffering knee injury, per @TomPelissero + @RapSheethttps://t.co/CLHfDmOMax pic.twitter.com/w6MnW2ePSQ
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 24, 2023
Hines suffered a significant knee injury for the Buffalo Bills away from the team facilities. He was acquired in a trade a season ago from the Indianapolis Colts near the NFL trade deadline. It will be interesting to see how they will replace him not only on the offense side of the football but also on special teams. He was a kickoff returner and also a punt returner.
Buffalo Bills Running Back Nyheim Hines Out For Season
Nyheim Hines last season overall, in 16 games, rushed for 33 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown, but also caught 30 passes for 241 yards receiving and one touchdown. Hines averaged only 1.4 yards per rush but also averaged 8.0 yards per reception. It felt like he was a wide receiver playing the running back position.
On special teams last season, he had two kickoff returns for a touchdown, and they both were against the New England Patriots in Week 18. That will be extremely hard to replace this season for the Buffalo Bills. So now what do they do at running back and returner?
Buffalo Bills Running Backs To Step Up
On the current Buffalo Bills roster, James Cook, Damien Harris, and Latavius Murray are some of the other running backs that will look to be the primary third-down running back in the backfield. Cook could potentially be the breakout player for them this season, especially with Nyheim Hines out for the season now.
Harris was previously with the New England Patriots, and Murray has been floating around.
Buffalo Bills Kick/Punt Returner To Step Up
There are a few names on the roster that could potentially replace Nyheim Hines in the punt return game and the kickoff return game. The three potential candidates are wide Deonte Hardy, safety Micah Hyde, and wide receiver Khalil Shakir. They all have experience in those categories.
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