Bills’ Nyheim Hines likely out for 2023 season after suffering serious knee injury away from team, per report

The Bills kick off 2023 training camp on Wednesday, but they’ll do so without one of their top reserves due to an unfortunate injury. Running back and return specialist Nyheim Hines is expected to miss the entire season after suffering a knee injury away from the team, according to NFL Media on Monday.

Hines, 26, was acquired at last year’s in-season trade deadline and was expected to at least serve as Buffalo’s top kick and punt returner in 2023. It’s unclear exactly how he suffered his “significant” knee injury, but the issue occurred off-site, per Ian Rapoport.

Although a tough loss, Buffalo isn’t necessarily hurting for running back depth. Even after Hines reportedly agreed to a pay cut to stay with the team this offseason, the Bills signed two veteran free agents in Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, each of whom have starting experience. Second-year back James Cook is also expected to have a heavier workload after primarily appearing as a third-down option in 2022.

Hines’ absence may be felt most on special teams, where he notably returned a pair of Week 18 kickoffs for touchdowns in Buffalo’s first game after Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest. A former pass-catching weapon for the Colts, the veteran finished 2022 with a career-best 707 combined return yards. He was acquired in exchange for former Bills backup RB Zack Moss and a conditional late-round draft pick in November.