Bills' infantry officer Jimmy Ciarlo grateful to Army, explains post-NFL commitment

The Buffalo Bills waived "Hard Knocks" star Jimmy Ciarlo on Tuesday, but he may not be headed for active duty as an Army infantry officer just yet

Nov 12, 2022; Troy, Alabama, USA; Army Black Knights outside linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo (7) recovers a fumble against the Troy Trojans | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Jimmy Ciarlo already has a job waiting for him once his professional football playing days come to an end.

Waived by the Buffalo Bills prior to the August 26 roster cutdown deadline with the reported intention of signing him to the practice squad, provided he clears waivers unclaimed, Ciarlo's United States Army commitment will seemingly be put on hold for the near future.

The USMA graduate must serve active duty as an officer for a minimum of five years, but West Point's professional athletes are permitted to pause the required service until their playing careers expire.

“In recent years, they've changed it so that you're able to, as soon as you graduate, go pursue professional sports," said Ciarlo following the August 23 preseason finale via WGR 550. "Then, on the back end, when you finish your career, because as you know, for most professional athletes, it's not super long, so they know when they get their service members back, they'll be in shape, ready to serve."

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Signed only three days prior to the Bills' preseason opener against the New York Giants, Ciarlo sprung right into action and produced a memorable special teams highlight that helped launch his "Hard Knocks" stardom. The former Army team captain performed admirably in all three exhibition games, especially considering he was learning Buffalo's system on the fly.

Over three games, Ciarlo totaled 11 tackles on defense and three more stops on special teams. He also recovered a fumble in the win over the Buccaneers.

.@ArmyWP_Football grad @ciarlo_jimmy playing at game speed 🫡#HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/yRkEoegkql

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) August 20, 2025

"I think that the lessons I've learned here in an NFL locker room is something I'll be able to transfer and carry with me and hopefully make me a better leader when it comes time to be an infantry officer," said Ciarlo.

For now, the linebacker will continue to hone his skills on an NFL practice field thanks to the special permissions granted.

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"I think it's awesome that they allow us to do that. I'm thankful for like the Army and, you know, what they've done to allow us to do that," said Ciarlo.

The Bills are presumably thankful, too.

The August 26 episode of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" provided an up-close, detailed look at Ciarlo's journey.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo stays after practice for advice from special teams coordinator Chris Tabor at Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford on Aug.6, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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