Report: Bills RB Nyheim Hines to miss entire 2023 season after jet ski knee injury

Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines is expected to miss the entire 2023 season due to a "significant" knee injury, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday. The nature of the knee injury isn't yet known.

According to Pelissero, Hines was injured in a jet ski accident when another rider ran into the stationary jet ski he was sitting on.

This is a brutal turn of events for the 26-year-old Hines. He was traded from the Indianapolis Colts to the Bills in the middle of last season and took a pay cut to stay in Buffalo when the Bills restructured his contract.

Without Hines, the Bills have James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray at running back. But Hines' absence leaves a bigger hole than just as a third-down pass-catcher. He was also expected to be the primary kick and punt returner for the Bills, a role he filled last year with positive results — especially in Week 18, when he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

The first return of Week 18 was especially meaningful for Bills players, staff, and fans. It was the first game since Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field, and Hines returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. It sent Highmark Stadium into an earth-shaking frenzy.

According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, the in-house options to replace Hines on special teams are Deonte Harty, Khalil Shakir and Micah Hyde.