Jordan Poyer Sends Heartfelt Message on Being a Bills Starter Again Ahead of Chiefs Game
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Jordan Poyer is going to start his second straight game for the Bills on Sunday against the rival Chiefs.
In the next-man-up nature of the NFL, Jordan Poyer knows opportunities are fleeting.
So the fact the Buffalo Bills safety is back in their starting lineup ahead of their showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs has Poyer feeling some strong feelings.
Poyer spoke about getting his second straight start ahead of the team’s AFC Championship Game rematch at Highmark Stadium on Sunday in Orchard Park.
Poyer spent the first five weeks on the Bills’ practice squad, which earned him high praise from coach Sean McDermott. But after the Bills secondary was ravaged by injuries, notably to safety Taylor Rapp, Poyer got back into the Buffalo lineup and posted five tackles in Buffalo’s 40-9 win over the
Poyer Compared The Bills To A Family
Poyer was picked in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles then was traded to the
But Poyer credited the organizational culture in Western New York and compared the Bills’ culture to a family, which is why he finds it so fun being on the team.
“It truly feels like family,” Poyer said. “That makes it a lot more fun to be out there and on the field in those grind moments when you’re looking at your teammates, but you’re looking at your brothers too. You’re wanting to be better for them; you’re wanting to make plays for them. You’re wanting to put in a little extra for them.”
Poyer spoke highly of how the players feel. But he also shared how that culture permeates off the field to organizational members.
“The love around the guys for this team is real,” Poyer said. “We want to keep in what makes this place so special, [which is] not the players but the whole organization from the front office to the cafeteria … all around the stadium.”
Jordan Poyer Wakes Up Grateful He Gets To Start For The Bills
Poyer only missed starting one game over his first five seasons with the Bills, plus 11 playoff starts between 2017-23.
Yet, after leaving Buffalo to join the Dolphins in 2024, then rejoining the Bills and participating on their practice squad, Poyer has a new and profound appreciation for starting for one of the favorites to win the AFC and Super Bowl.
“I still wake up in the morning and just smile and just [say] I’m going to work as the starter,” Poyer said. “I’m extremely grateful. I bust my butt to even be sitting here right now.
“It’s a blessing to be back here, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.”
Part of Poyer’s enhanced gratitude is his perspective, since the 34-year-old isn’t sure how many more chances he’ll have to start after the Bills D-backs get healthy.
“I’m extremely thankful, and I’m just going to continue shooting my arrows,” Poyer said. “I don’t know how many more I got left, but I’m right where my feet are, enjoying the time here with the guys, working each and every day, playing the games each and every weekend.”
Trade Pitch Brings Buccaneers $56 Million Pro Bowler
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may very well have their roster set in stone for the rest of the season. It’s tough to argue with a 6-2 start that’s happened with star players missing on both sides of the ball for extended periods of time.
If you’re a head coach or general manager, you have to see that kind of competitiveness and toughness and be loathe to mess with the chemistry that comes with it.
But are the Buccaneers a Super Bowl contender? That’s a little more debatable. More likely than not, they’re probably only going to get to that level with a little help.
Heavy’s Max Dible thinks that help could come from a trade with the Cleveland Browns for Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku in exchange for a 2026 Day 3 draft pick.
“David Njoku is a competent tight end who can help a high-octane offense in Tampa Bay that needs some more pass-catching due to a handful of injuries to some of its top options, including Mike Evans and Chris Godwin,” Dible said. “The Browns are 2-6 and drafted Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round, who looks like a hit. Njoku probably isn’t coming back after he becomes a free agent next year, so getting a fifth-round pick, or the like, for him now makes more sense than letting him walk for nothing — especially since keeping Njoku for the rest of this season isn’t likely to change Cleveland’s fate.”
Former First Round Pick on Awful Teams
Njoku, 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, only played 2 seasons at the University of Miami and left school early for the NFL after putting up 43 receptions for 698 yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games in 2016.
The Browns selected Njoku at No. 29 overall in the 2017 NFL draft — one of 3 tight ends picked in the first round. Njoku became a full time starter in his second season with 56 receptions for 639 yards and 4 touchdowns. He battled injuries in 2019 and 2020, missing 16 games, but bounced back in 2021 with 36 receptions for 375 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Njoku has had at least 50 receptions, 500 yards and 4 touchdowns in each of the last 3 years and had a career year in 2023 with 81 receptions for 882 yards and 6 touchdowns while earning his only Pro Bowl nod.
While Njoku has gotten super duper paid by the Browns — he’ll have approximately $70.4 million in career earnings after 2025 — what that money hasn’t bought is wins.
In 8 NFL seasons with Njoku, the Browns have had just 2 winning seasons — also their only 2 playoff appearances in that stretch — and even went winless in 2017 with an 0-16 record.
Buccaneers Already Have Reliable TE Option
Otton has been one of Tampa Bay’s most consistent targets for Mayfield in the last 2 seasons, including a breakout year in 2024 with career highs of 59 receptions for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns in just 14 games.
Like Njoku, Otton is also playing for big money. While Njoku is in the final season of a 4-year, $56.75 million contract, Otton is in the final year of a 4-year, $4.49 million contract and in line for a lucrative free agent contract following the season — if not sooner.
