Buffalo Bills running Nyheim Hines’ 2023 season is over before it began.
Hines suffered a significant knee injury while away from the team and is expected to miss the entire 2023 season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero provided details of Hines’ injury, reporting that the 26-year-old running back was sitting stationary on a jet ski and was struck by another rider, sustaining a serious but not non-life threatening injury that will require season-ending knee surgery:
Hines was traded to the Buffalo Bills from the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of last season and took a pay cut to stay in Buffalo when the Bills restructured his contract.
Without Hines, the Bills have James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray at running back. But Hines’ absence leaves a bigger hole than just as a third-down pass-catcher. He was also expected to be the primary kick and punt returner for the Bills, a role he filled last year with positive results — especially in Week 18, when he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.
