Nyheim Hines Joins Chargers As He Continues NFL Comeback Bid

The running back hasn't played since 2022.

Nyheim Hines runs the ball during a playoff game against the Dolphins. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Three years have passed since running back Nyheim Hines last played in the NFL, but he appears ready to pick up where he left off.

Hines is signing a contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to a Monday afternoon report from Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 28-year-old last saw game action in 2022 with the Buffalo Bills.

The reported signing comes as Hines makes a bid to return to professional football after an off-the-field injury in 2023. In July of that year, Hines was hit by a jet ski while sitting on his own jet ski—a collision which tore his ACL.

The Buffalo Bills, to whom he'd been traded in Nov. 2022, cut Hines in March 2024. He signed with the Cleveland Browns, but saw no time with them.

Former Colts and Bills RB Nyheim Hines, who hasn’t played in the NFL for two seasons due to a knee injury, reached agreement today with the Chargers, per source. pic.twitter.com/wfApa0w6oA

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2025

A 1,000-yard rusher at NC State, Hines is best known for his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, for whom he was a productive change-of-pace back from 2018 to '22.

The Chargers are dealing with their own non-football injury situation, as running back Najee Harris hurt his eye in a fireworks accident on July 4.

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