Peter Rosen
This is an open letter to you, to show some of our appreciation and genuine love for you and your commitment to this team, this region and your fanbase around the world.
Some of us knew her colorful past as an Oregon high school and college athlete—a quarterback and safety, voted the top football player in the state on both offense and defense and was so good at baseball that you drafted by the Florida Marlins.
As a seventh-round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles, who sacked you after one season, you were released from waivers by the Cleveland Browns, but moved in and out of the lineup relatively unnoticed and were not re-signed.
The Bills signed you on the very first day of free agency in 2017, partly on the recommendation of former Browns assistant coach Bobby Babich, who was with the Bills at the time.
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Lucky for us, lucky for you and lucky for buffalo blue.
Immediately paired with fellow Free Agent Safety Micah Hyde, whom the Bills signed the same day, they won their first job at training camp and six years later they were at the top.
The best explanation for the sad end of this 2022/23 season seems to be that you and your teammates simply ran out of gas after too many accidents and malfunctions. It was not so much an accusation as a reminder of the many sufferings endured. Too much for one body, one team, one city.
During your tenure at Buffalo, you’ve done everything. You played spectacularly. You have suffered from social media controversy with your family. Her addiction, recovery, and subsequent public telling of her all-too-human story was tragic and exemplary.
Her partnership, friendship and kinship with Hyde also coincided with the spirit, camaraderie, love and brotherhood of the team and community. One plus one equals three or even more.
Their game has been a metaphor for the Bills for the last six years.
Your bravery, versatility, and shrewdness have been hallmarks of you and your team’s efforts and achievements during the meteoric rise and heartbreaking disappointments that distracted some seasons and ended others.
Your willingness to charge the line and hit oncoming trucks, combined with your simultaneous agility to roam the field and cover both fast WRs deep and crowded tight ends in the middle, made you an All-Pro at your position.
Like your teammates, franchise and his franchise star quarterback, you rose to the top of the league last year in 2021.
You started 2022 with a bang and a few blowouts, on top of the world, but then disaster struck. You lost your Twin Elite Safety Micah in Week 2 to a season-ending neck injury. You lost your Star Pass Rusher Von Miller to an ACL violation on Thanksgiving.
Then tragedy struck western New York in multiple incidents on and off the field.
You’ve suffered six injuries that we at least know about: elbows, ribs, a torn lateral meniscus in a knee that you toyed with but didn’t complain about, and finally your head.
Any of them might have liked other NFL players, but not Jordan Poyer. You’ve been busy, too proud of what you do, who you are, who you play for and who you represent.
Again, you are the Buffalo Bills of the six seasons that you have lived here.
You’ve triggered the highest highs and suffered through the deepest lows. They are not always ahead, but they are the undisputed winners. Not a hero or idol, but a real man and beacon that most of us can only emulate, not equate.
After all, Mr. Porter, you’ve been absolute class through it all. Bill’s Mafia, the Buffalo Bills, and the western New York community have been fortunate and honored to have you as our man, representative, and hope.
You may have played in blue, white and red your last time, and if so, good luck in all ventures and in the town you end up in.
No one can fault you for what is probably your last best shot at a contract worthy of your skill, dedication and sacrifice.
The Bills’ story is “there’s always next year”. But there may not be a next year for your love affair with the Bills and their cronies. The front office needs to decide whether to reload the roster, rebuild it, or maybe just redesign it.
So what do you say, maybe lace ’em up again and give it another try as Bill? Big Baller Beane shocked us before with his salary cap sorcery.
Thank you Jordan Poyer. Thank you for everything, because it’s all you gave.
You are always welcome back.
Pete Rosen is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles, a lifelong Buffalo fan and can be found babbling daily at twobillsdrive.com.
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