Buffalo Bills Rule Out Star Safety for Week 3

The Buffalo Bills will be down one of their best players on the backend of their defense when they face off against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday. Head coach Sean McDermott announced at his Friday presser that safety Micah Hyde had been ruled out for the pivotal AFC East matchup.

Bills’ HC Sean McDermott ruled out Micah Hyde and Jordan Phillips for Sunday’s game in Miami.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2022

Hyde left during the second half of the Bills' Week 2 41-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans with a neck injury, but his departure had been overshadowed somewhat by what had appeared to be a potentially catastrophic injury to cornerback Dane Jackson earlier in the game. The safety is apparently seeking second opinions after his initial diagnosis, which is usually a pretty good hint that he heard something he didn't like the first time around. McDermott declined to provide further details.

Hyde came to the Bills as an unrestricted free agent in 2017. He made his first and only Pro Bowl that year, and he has been a stalwart presence in the defensive backfield ever since, starting all but two games over the previous five seasons. He had arguably his best season just last year, earning a second-team All-Pro and tying a career-high with five interceptions for the Bills' top-ranked scoring defense. In his absence, the Bills will be forced to replace his snaps with some combination of backups Jaquan Johnson and Damar Hamlin.