Nyheim Hines, a former running back for the Buffalo Bills, is joining the Cleveland Browns on the other side of Lake
Erie.
The first to report that Hines will sign “a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million with the Browns, per sources” was
ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
After general manager Brandon Beane made a trade deadline acquisition with the Indianapolis Colts, Hines first
arrived in Orchard Park, New York. Beane traded Hines to the Colts for running back Zack Moss and a conditional
sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. It seemed as though the team was having trouble incorporating him
completely into the attacking plans after his mid-season arrival. Consequently, the dual-threat speedster finished
with five catches (on nine targets) for 53 yards and one touchdown, along with -3 yards on six rushes and one
turnover.
At times, Hines performed remarkably effectively in energizing the team’s kickoff return game. Hines is most known
for returning two kickoffs to the house during Buffalo’s 2022 Week 18 victory over the New England Patriots. His
first touchdown occurred on the opening kickoff of the game, a 96-yard return that was the team’s first play (and
touchdown) since safety Damar Hamlin’s unexpected on-field cardiac collapse in Week 17 against the Cincinnati
Bengals. Late in the third quarter, with the wounded Patriots leading 17–13, Hines fielded the New England kickoff
in his own end zone and sprinted 101 yards for another touchdown to put the Bills ahead for good.
Due to an injury sustained on a jet ski during the offseason that resulted in a severe knee injury that prevented him
from playing in the 2023 NFL season, Hines was unable to see the field during his second season with Buffalo. Hines’
time with the Bills was eventually over, leaving supporters to ponder “what could have been, if only” in the wake of
his release last week. Nyheim Hines will now attempt to demonstrate that his knee is healthy by participating in the
Browns’ 2024 NFL season.
