Buffalo Bills S Micah Hyde walked into his press conference after Wednesday's walkthrough practice with all smiles to speak to the media. On Wednesday morning, the Bills announced that the longtime starting safety and former team captain was signing with the practice squad.
"Everyone's saying, 'Welcome back.' It's more like 'Welcome home,'" Hyde said. "Buffalo is home for us."
Hyde was a free agent following the 2023 season and elected to remain a free agent, saying it was "Buffalo or nowhere."
Head coach Sean McDermott has said repeatedly that he is protective of the locker room and that signing Hyde back was about the fit and that he is confident in the room that they currently have.
"We're in a good spot, very confident in the guys that have played there all season long and have both done a nice job," McDermott said. "We'll just take it one day at a time. It's always about the team, and it's never about one person. And in this case, Micah would not want that to be about him."
Both parties said that they had engaged in conversations throughout the season, most of which were simply checking in on how Hyde was doing. However, he said that conversations had ramped up over the last several weeks about him returning. One major player in those conversations was DT Jordan Phillips.
"I texted Big Phil when he when he got signed here, and I said, 'Big Phil, I love you, man, congrats. I'm so happy you're back in Buffalo. You deserve it. They deserve it. And go get a ring.' And his response back was, 'when you coming back?'" Hyde said. "I'm forever grateful for this organization, and so this is just icing on the cake. I was honored, and I feel like for me to come in practice squad and help you know, any way I could, it was I felt honored."
Hyde has been living in San Diego, CA and working out during the season. He has also been watching Bills games whenever they were playing.
"Every Sunday or Monday or whatever day, the Bills were playing, we were watching," Hyde said. "I was a fan, just like everybody else. The whole family wearing Bills gear. Had the kids dressed up in Bills gear. And, just forever a fan. So to be able to get that call and come back and, see what I can do to help was awesome."
He is excited to contribute to this team in any way that he can, and that includes his role now being on the practice squad.
"I'm taking it day by day, and I think that's a special thing and that's the cool thing about this new role is, I can take it day by day," Hyde said. "I'm here to help. I left my ego in San Diego. The goal has always been to bring a championship back here and that's always going to be the goal. Until that happens, you guys probably going to be tired of me, because after this season and I truly retire, maybe you might see me doing something else here until we get a championship."
While Hyde is extremely excited to be back in a Bills uniform, you could feel the excitement from his teammates as well.
"He's one of my favorite humans of all time, so to have him in the building is awesome," QB Josh Allen said. "Someone that you can talk to about not just football things, but life things. He's an honest guy. He's a smart guy. And, just having that type of person and that knowledge in our locker room has to pay benefits to us."
"He had texted me the other day, so I got to walk in yesterday, on Tuesday, and go give him a big old hug."
DE Von Miller said that he noticed throughout the year that Hyde's locker had not yet been cleaned out until just a few weeks ago and he thought that Hyde was not going to come back. Then when he drove into the facility on Wednesday morning and the two of them were trying to park in the same spot is when he knew that he was coming back.
"He parks and I get out my car and I look over and I'm like, `That's Micah Hyde. He's back,'" Miller said. "You just get excited because you know what type of energy he brings to the locker room, you know his personality. We just got better by adding Micah Hyde. Whether that's on the football field or off the football field. Having a guy like that in the locker room around all the guys like it's all plus in each and every category in which makes the team good."
'We have to continue to think differently'
The Bills sit at 10-2 with the AFC East clinched and a cross-country road trip to visit the 6-6 Los Angeles Rams.
Allen spoke on the challenges that the Rams represent, with a team that he said is very hungry.
"They've been playing really good football as of late," Allen said. "Their defensive line is one of the better units you'll see. They got a lot of dogs up front… And then you got one of the best quarterbacks to, in my opinion, play the game of football. So we got to be ready to go and ready for whatever they can throw at us."
McDermott also spoke on Rams head coach Sean McVay, and like Kyle Shanahan last week, said that McVay is one of the best coaches in the league.
"He's won a Super Bowl, innovative in how he shapes his offense year to year, how he utilizes his personnel as well," McDermott said. "I think great coaches take what they have and make it better. And he's done that over the course of his career. So, a ton of respect for Sean and what he's been able to do there, and how creative he is on offense."
Although they know they will be playing this the playoffs, they have not stopped preaching how important fundamentals are in trying to stay focused on their goals.
"We have to continue to think differently and these guys have done that all season long," McDermott said. "And whether it's win the division, opponents we've played in the past that people perceive to be a certain game or a certain size of game or playing on a short week. Our guys have done a great job of orientating their minds in a different way this season. And I know, that's what we have to continue to do. And I know they're up for that challenge."
Injury Report
- Full: DT DeWayne Carter (IR) (Wrist), OL Tylan Grable (IR) (Groin), LB Matt Milano (Biceps)
- Limited: WR Keon Coleman (Wrist), TE Dalton Kincaid (Knee), TE Quintin Morris (Shoulder/Groin), S Taylor Rapp (Neck/Shoulder), WR Curtis Samuel (Foot)
