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New Browns RB Nyheim Hines missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
Former Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines hasn’t played an NFL snap since a freak accident ended his 2023 season before it began, but he now has a chance for a comeback with an injury-struck AFC contender.
The Los Angeles Chargers announced this week that they signed Hines to the practice squad, adding some veteran depth after losing both of their top running backs to injury. Hines gained a reputation as a versatile running back and return specialist before his injury, and now will get a chance to prove he can still contribute to an NFL team.
Chargers Needed Help in the Backfield
The Chargers have taken some big hits to their backfield, having already lost Najee Harris to a season-ending Achilles tear and then placing first-round pick Omarion Hampton on injured reserve this week with an injured ankle. The team signed Kimani Vidal to the active roster from the practice squad and will hand a larger role to Hassan Haskins, but Hines will also provide some depth.
Hines joined three other running backs in a workout for the Chargers this week, with the team picking the versatile Hines to give a practice squad contract. Hines has appeared in 81 games since coming into the NFL in 2018, logging 1,202 total rushing yards with 10 touchdowns and adding 240 receptions for 1,778 and eight receiving touchdowns.
While Hines will likely remain on the practice squad to start, he could earn a call-up to the active roster once acclimated to the team.
Nyheim Hines Had Unfortunate Tenure With the Bills
Hine has not appeared in an NFL game since the end of the 2022 season. He suffered a freak accident the next offseason, getting hurt in a jet ski accident shortly before the Bills were set to open training camp and tearing his ACL.
Hines missed the entire 2023 season and was released by the Bills the next offseason. He had a somewhat public spat with the Bills over this injury settlement, with Hines’ agent calling out the team on social media before Hines later spoke up and thanked the team, later saying he hoped to return after his injury.
There were some high points during his tenure with the Bills, including a return touchdown on the opening kickoff when the Bills faced the New England Patriots the game after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field. Hines later scored a touchdown on another kickoff return, leading the Bills to a victory.
The veteran running back signed with the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad last year but was placed on injured reserve and did not appear in a game. ESPN’s Adam Schefter this summer that Hines was planning to return to the NFL and looking for an opportunity.
“Nearly two years to the date that he tore his ACL in a jet-ski accident, Nyheim Hines is looking for a chance to play in his first NFL game since 2022, when he returned two kicks for touchdowns in the same game for the Bills,” Schefter wrote. “Hines believes his knee finally is ready for a return to action and he is looking for a new training camp home.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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