Bills S Jordan Poyer ruled out ahead of Week 4 clash with Dolphins

Could we get our first look at Damar Hamlin this week?

Before practice even began on Friday, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced that safety Jordan Poyer had been ruled out for Sunday’s showdown with the Miami Dolphins.

Poyer, who signed a two-year deal with the Bills after trying the free agency waters this spring, showed up on this week’s injury report on Wednesday. While he never left the game in which the Bills beat the Washington Commanders 37-3, McDermott did clarify that the 32-year-old safety injured his knee during Week 3’s game at FedEx Field.

While we can’t be sure exactly when the All-Pro safety was injured, since the Bills never announced the injury during game time, here’s a look at what could likely have caused the problems that Poyer is dealing with now.

Poyer played through the end of the 2022 season with a torn meniscus, but there was never any word on if he had surgery to repair the tear during the offseason or not. There is also no clarification as to whether this injury is related to last season’s.

With Poyer ruled out, next man up would be Taylor Rapp, who came to the Bills via free agency this summer, having spent the first four years of his career with the Los Angeles Rams. The 25-year-old safety has been on the game day roster for each of Buffalo’s first three games and has seven combined tackles (four solo) and a fumble recovery.

However, the Bills have been carrying four safeties into game day — Poyer and Rapp along with veteran Micah Hyde and Cam Lewis (who also subs in at nickle for Taron Johnson from time to time). So, does that mean that we could possibly see Damar Hamlin in uniform Sunday?

Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field on January 2 and who has had a very-publicized recovery, worked to earn his spot back on the Bills’ 53-man roster, but has been a healthy scratch every game so far this season.

With the Buffalo Bills looking to slow down the speedy Dolphins offense, keeping fresh legs running with receivers, it’s a strong possibility that Hamlin could run out of that tunnel on Sunday — and there’s no doubt that Bills Mafia will erupt if he does so.