The Bills acquired running back Nyheim Hines in a midseason trade with the Colts in 2022.
Now the club is going to keep him around for 2023.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Bills and Hines are reworking the running back’s contract for him to remain with the organization. Some of Hines’ base salary will convert to a signing bonus. And while Hines was previously slated to earn $4.79 million in 2023, he’ll have incentives for the chance to earn more than that.
While Hines is under contract for 2023 and 2024, he had no guaranteed money under his previous deal. So the Bills could have cut him and saved $4.79 million against the cap without any dead money.
A fourth-round pick in 2018, Hines was a key offensive playmaker for years with the Colts, even as he wasn’t a regular starter. His best season came in 2020, when he tallied 862 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns.
But while Hines provided one of the season’s key moments with his two kickoff returns for touchdowns in Buffalo’s Week 18 victory over New England, Hines did not get fully integrated into the Bills’ offense in 2022. He played only 66 snaps on the unit in nine games, recording six carries for -3 yards and five catches for 53 yards with a touchdown.
In the postseason, he caught two passes for 11 yards and had a fumble.