How Bills got Jordan Poyer back, and why he’s playing in Week 6

Billy Heyen

How Bills got Jordan Poyer back, and why he’s playing in Week 6 image

Jordan Poyer is back.

And finally, he's active.

In Week 6 on Monday Night Football, the Buffalo Bills' long-time safety has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to take on the Atlanta Falcons.

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How did the Bills get Jordan Poyer back?

The Bills signed Poyer as a free agent in August after a year away with the Miami Dolphins.

Poyer, who had spent seven years in Buffalo, found a chance to return to the Bills.

In that time, he suited up for 107 games, all starts.

Poyer recorded 22 interceptions with the Bills, at least two in every season except 2023.

He also made 682 tackles, including 35 for loss. He had 11 sacks, eight forced fumbles, six recovered fumbles and 48 passes defensed.

In 2024, he departed for the Dolphins, and he played in 16 games and had 98 tackles.

“This is where my heart is,” Poyer told reporters at the time. “It’s where home is, where I essentially grew up in this game. On and off the field. My daughter’s grown up in this town, this city. And I feel like this is a way for me to give back to the community, to this team. I feel like I can still give back to the game in many ways, whether that be on the field or off the field.”

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Why is Jordan Poyer playing in Week 6?

The Bills needed Poyer due to injury.

Damar Hamlin was placed on IR, and so Poyer was elevated from the practice squad for the first time.

He'll be behind starters Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop on the depth chart but could get into the game at some point.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle