Former Dolphins Starter Returns to Division Rival

One of the Miami Dolphins’ starters from last season is signing with a division rival, and it’s likely the exact one you’re expecting.

Safety Jordan Poyer is returning to Buffalo and is expected to land on the team’s practice squad Wednesday, according to multiple national reporters. Poyer spent last season with the Dolphins after seven seasons in Buffalo.

The #Bills are signing S Jordan Poyer to their practice squad, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2025

The Dolphins signed Poyer with the hope that he would pair well with fellow former safety Jevon Holland on the backend, giving the team two high-quality starters at safety.

To put it nicely, that didn’t happen. Poyer struggled mightily in Miami, posting a 10.9 missed tackle rate and a quarterback rating allowed of 111.2. He was a liability in coverage and run defense on tape, too.

Miami’s safety room was so bad last season that the team made huge changes this offseason.

It let Holland sign with the New York Giants and showed zero interest in re-signing Poyer. Instead, the team settled on young, prove-it players in Ifeatu Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis during the first wave of free agency. Eventually, the Dolphins also added Minkah Fitzpatrick in the Jalen Ramsey-Jonnu Smith trade.

The team also drafted Dante Trader Jr. in the fifth round this offseason, but he has barely played during the preseason due to an injury.

Poyer, now 34, is clearly past his prime, but his previous success in Buffalo was enough for the team to add him to the practice squad. Since he’s on the practice squad, there’s no guarantee that Poyer will play in 2025.

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott has said the team needed help alongside starting safety Taylor Rapp this offseason, so bringing in a veteran like Poyer does make some sense. He can help mentor the team’s 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop, who is in line to start right now.

If Poyer does end up getting elevated to the active roster, the Dolphins will obviously have multiple opportunities to face him. Miami faces Buffalo in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football in Orchard Park, and the team’s second matchup is in Week 10 at Hard Rock Stadium.

An opportunity for the Dolphins to face a player like Poyer is a relatively small storyline compared to Miami’s need to prove it can hang with this version of the Bills.

The Dolphins haven’t beaten the Bills since September of the 2022 season, losing the last six matchups, including one in the postseason.

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