Jordan Poyer spent the past seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills, facing the Miami Dolphins twice a year and, in one case, three times when accounting for a playoff pairing.
In that time, Poyer’s Bills were 13-2 against the Dolphins, which, for the past four seasons, have been Buffalo’s top competition in the AFC East while the Bills have reeled off four consecutive divisional crowns.
As Poyer, the veteran former All-Pro and Pro Bowl safety, switches sides in the rivalry this offseason, maybe it’s his presence that can swing fortunes between the two teams.
Poyer, signing a one-year contract with the Dolphins, will have friends turned enemies — at least on the field — in Buffalo this season, but don’t expect him to make more of facing the Bills in a Dolphins uniform than need be.
“Rivalry’s a rivalry,” Poyer said in a Monday morning introductory web conference with reporters. “It’s another game, and that’s exactly what it’ll be this year playing them up there and then playing them down here. That’s not something that I’m going to look and put a star on the game.”
Maybe come that first game week this fall, he’ll have a different perspective, but for middle of March, no animosity toward the team that released Poyer, who turns 33 April 25.
The cut, among a series from the Bills the week before free agency began in order to save salary cap space, was one the 2021 All-Pro and 2022 Pro Bowl selection saw coming.
“I was prepared. I’m always prepared,” Poyer said. “I’ve been in this league long enough to know moves got to be made and see guys come and go, guys get cut unexpectedly. I was prepared, and I’m in a good place in my life where I have an understanding that it is what it is, it ain’t what it ain’t. Just keep moving on, just keep putting the next foot forward, and I’m here right now with another great opportunity.”
That release allowed Poyer to become a free agent again a year early. He previously considered joining the Dolphins last offseason before signing on for what was originally supposed to be two years back in Buffalo.
“It meant a lot. I’ve had a lot of respect for this program for the past few years,” said Poyer, who has a home 25 to 30 minutes from Hard Rock Stadium and team facilities. “Super thankful to be able to come in with an open mind, an open heart to teach, learn, play and continue to play at a high level, which I know I can. … I love being out here in the warm weather, seeing the palm trees.”
Poyer notes a preexisting relationship with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and several Miami players. As he finalized his agreement to join the Dolphins, he was in Costa Rica. He said, at the same moment he sent a lengthy text message to McDaniel, the coach called him. They spoke for 30 minutes.
“His energy is unmatched. So much respect for him,” Poyer said. “I’m just here to shed my light and to be a light, and that’s exactly what he is too. You see it on the (HBO series) ‘Hard Knocks.’ You see it on the field when you cross (paths). It’s just him, man. He’s a great dude and a great coach. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Now, in Miami, Poyer will play safety alongside the talented Jevon Holland, who has previously mentioned Poyer as an older safety he looks up to. Beyond the Dolphins-Bills rivalry, the two are connected by the Oregon-Oregon State rivalry, with Holland a former Duck and Poyer a Beaver.
“He’s just an extremely athletic player, extremely gifted player that I’ve been following and watching kind of grow over the last few years,” Poyer said of Holland. “That’ll be pretty cool to just connect with him and learn about him. I want to help as much as I can.
“I’m 32. I guess you can call me old or whatever, but at the same time, I have a lot of knowledge about this game. I feel like I can help players see the game in a different light, different perspective and help them get one step closer to the ball, one step closer to making that play or even helping me.”
That safety tandem will work into a secondary that has 2023 trade acquisition Jalen Ramsey playing new free agent addition Kendall Fuller at cornerback.
The Dolphins are actually South Florida’s second professional sports franchise with ties to Poyer. The Marlins, back when they were still the Florida Marlins, drafted him as a baseball prospect out of high school in 2009.
Poyer, though, went the college route as a two-sport athlete at Oregon State. He ultimately shifted all his attention to football before getting drafted in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. Cut later that year, he spent three and a half seasons with the Cleveland Browns before his career took off in Buffalo.
He says he “absolutely” has conducted himself with a chip on his shoulder throughout his career from being slighted, with his release from Buffalo being the latest.
“This is just another one of those opportunities for me to go out htere and prove to myself, really, and to everybody else I can still play at a high level, help win games. I have a lot of experience in this game. I have a lot of experience within this division.”
Poyer said he would love to take batting practice at the Marlins’ loanDepot Park, considering he didn’t have a Major League Baseball ballpark in Buffalo. He hasn’t hit a baseball in a few years, though, he said.
“But the golf swing is pretty nice right now,” Poyer said.