Message from former Bills starter Jordan Poyer to Josh Allen for TNF

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Bills quarterback Josh Allen (R) and his former safety, Jordan Poyer, before the AFC Wild Card Playoff game on January 4, 2020 in Houston, Texas.

The Buffalo Bills trimmed their roster this offseason, cutting several key veterans. The departure of safety Jordan Poyer was a particularly tough sendoff for the Bills Mafia.

After seven seasons in Buffalo, Poyer signed with the Bills’ AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins. The 33-year-old, who has played alongside Bills quarterback Josh Allen since Buffalo drafted him with the seventh overall pick in 2018, will face the MVP candidate for the first time in his career in Week 2.

Before the Bills traveled to Florida for the Thursday Night Football showdown, Poyer made it clear that he won’t be making things easy for Allen and his former team. “We’re ready to play,” he told reporters on Sept. 9. “We’re excited; it’s going to be a fun game on Thursday night.”

Poyer shared inside information with his Dolphins teammates about how to shut down Allen, but was coy about the specific areas they could exploit. “Yeah, I’ll keep that inside the team,” he said. After Allen threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, along with two rushing scores in the Bills’ 34-28 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, Poyer also knows that containing him won’t be easy.

“He was pretty crazy doing what he’s always done, running around, throwing the ball, throwing it over people,” Poyer said. “Great player, man. I’ve seen him do some crazy stuff over the years, so I’m really excited for my first chance to finally play against him. It’s going to be a fun night on Thursday night.”

Bills QB Josh Allen commented on playing against Dolphins Safety Jordan Poyer

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Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Allen had nothing but good things to say about Poyer. “I got a lot of love for him… it’s going to be fun,” Allen said, according to Bills correspondent Dorian Alerte.

“First of all, I think the best comes out of people when you’re going up against really good guys and really good players. But at the same time, there’s going to be some friendly blows and, you know, hopefully I don’t let him tackle me, or in other words, I won’t even say it. So, you know, it’s fun to go up against guys that you have a lot of love and respect for… He’s one of the best players to ever put on a Bills uniform.”

While Poyer’s brother criticized Bills general manager Brandon Beane after his sudden firing, the All-Pro harbors no ill will. “I still have a lot of good relationships there,” Poyer told reporters. “I’m thankful for all my years there in Buffalo.”

Allen has a stellar 10-2 career record against Miami. During those 12 games between 2018 and 2023, Allen threw for 3,363 yards and 38 total touchdowns. Despite suffering an injury to his non-throwing hand against the Cardinals, the 28-year-old quarterback was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and is scheduled to start on Thursday.

Jordan Poyer took a serious pay cut to sign with the Miami Dolphins

GettyFormer Bills safety Jordan Poyer at Hard Rock Stadium on January 7, 2024.

Poyer had one year left on his $12.5 million contract when the Bills cut him in a cap-saving move. By cutting Poyer, the Bills saved $5.72 million against the 2024 salary cap with a $2 million dead money charge.”

Poyer, who was already good friends with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, accepted a one-year, $2 million contract with the Dolphins in a move that immediately raised some eyebrows. Agreeing to slightly more than a veteran’s minimum contract initially indicated that he might not have a clear path to making the 53-man roster.

Poyer did make the team, however, and proved to be a key part of the Dolphins’ defense in Week 1. During Miami’s 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Poyer was on every down and made six tackles.

Emily Bicks Emily Bicks covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Bills, Seahawks and Chiefs. She has been a Heavy contributor since 2019 and has interviewed some of the biggest stars in sports, including Jerry Rice, Shaquille O’Neal and Stefon Diggs. More about Emily Bicks