Buffalo Bills inform running back Nyheim Hines he’ll be released

The Buffalo Bills have informed running back Nyheim Hines that they will be releasing him this week as part of a salary cap-cutting move in advance of the NFL’S free agency period, a person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the discussions were private. ESPN. com first reported the pending decision on Hines on Sunday.

Though the Bills have held open the door to re-signing Hines, there’s no guarantee the player will return once free agency officially opens on March 13.

Hines was entering the final year of his contract, and missed all of last season due to a knee injury sustained in a jet ski accident just before the start of training camp last summer. The 27-year-old Hines has resumed training, though it’s unclear when he’ll be cleared to practice.

Hines’ injury coupled with the $5.1 million he is due this season led to the Bills’ decision. Releasing Hines will free up about $4.6 million in cap space for a team that entered the offseason projected to be at an Nfl-high $44 million over the cap entering 2024.

Buffalo acquired Hines in a trade with Indianapolis midway through the 2022 season with the hope of him playing a larger role in 2023. Hines had limited playing time in nine games, and made his biggest impact in a special teams role by returning two kickoffs — from 96 and 101 yards — for touchdowns in a regular-season-ending 35-23 win over New England, which eliminated the Patriots from playoff contention.

The Colts’ fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, Hines established his reputation for being a pass-catching threat out of the backfield during his first four-plus seasons in Indianapolis.

Nyheim Hines