Back in town, former Bills safety Micah Hyde still mulling over his playing future (2024)

Micah Hyde has narrowed his options down to two.

The veteran safety will either retire or return to the Buffalo Bills for an eighth season.

As for when that decision comes, Hyde said Thursday that he’s not in any rush.

“I feel like I’ve been an open book. You guys know everything that I know,” he said. “I got away after the season, got out to San Diego. My days consist of working out, swimming with the kids. Just trying to continue to help my wife out with the kids and continue to physically and mentally prepare myself if anything were to happen.”

Hyde is in town to host his fourth annual charity softball tournament. That will be held Sunday afternoon at Sahlen Field. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Hyde’s Imagine for Youth Foundation, which was started in 2015 to help financially disadvantaged kids thrive academically and athletically by providing them with necessary supplies, resources and equipment. Last year, the game raised $400,000 to benefit the foundation.

More than 13,400 tickets have been sold for the game as of Thursday afternoon, with a goal of getting to 16,000.

“Because what this community has given to us, and we know how awesome this game is,” Hyde said at a news conference. "If I could say that for the next hundred years that the Hydes are going to come back to town the throw this game, I would definitely do it. I would sign up right away. It’s so cool to see the community support, not only my family, but the foundation.”

Hyde has been in regular communication with Bills General Manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott this offseason. The safety missed nearly all of the 2022 season with a neck injury, but returned last year and was able to make it through 14 games in the regular season and both playoff contests.

“I’ve spoken to you guys many times throughout the season, how difficult it was with my neck and having those stingers,” he said. “I just said, ‘Let me get away from it a little bit.’ When the time comes, if the juices get flowing again, then we’ll try to give it a spin. But there’s no rush at all on my side. I’ve been an open book with Beane and Sean. Just got done talking to them. We’re all on the same page.

“I’m 33 years old, man. I want to have a healthy life. And my family is the most important thing to me. At the same time, I do want to win a Super Bowl. That would be pretty damn awesome. So we’ll see. We’ll take it day by day.”

The time away from football has Hyde feeling good. Just the other day, he woke up and randomly ran a 10k to – in his words – “see what my best time would be.”

“I'm wired like that. It felt pretty good,” he said. “I like to challenge myself. Obviously, football is a whole different game, it's a violent game, we all know it. You've got to have your head on right to be out there. You can't be half on the field, half off. You've got to be full go when you're out there, so that's what I'm trying to get to.

“If it doesn't happen then I can honestly sit down and just be like 'I gave it everything I could.' I've tried to be open with everybody throughout this whole process. I don't want to steer anybody wrong.”

Hyde said he’s taking his time with his decision because he wouldn’t want Beane to call and then realize a couple weeks into being back with the team that his heart is not in it.

“That's not me,” Hyde said. “I've always taken pride in going out there and making plays and helping my team win and doing whatever I can to help the team win, so I wouldn't do that. I appreciate this organization too much to do something like that, so trying to get full go, and if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.”

The Bills haven’t operated like a team waiting on Hyde to make a decision. The team re-signed Taylor Rapp, added Mike Edwards in free agency and drafted Cole Bishop in the second round. Hyde said he fully understands that Beane and McDermott have a job to do in building the roster. Hyde is one of six team captains from 2023 no longer with the Bills. He expressed confidence, however, that a new group of leaders will emege.

“There's a lot of leaders in that locker room, a lot of young guys that can really lead,” he said. “Guys will definitely step up, and I'm excited to see who does.”

Hyde visited the Bills’ locker room Thursday. He described that as “a little emotional” because of the relationships he has built, not just with teammates, but with coaches and other team personnel.

“It didn't really, like, light a fire under me to say I need go put this helmet on and run through a wall, but it did make me miss it, and I knew that was going to happen once I showed up and started walking through there,” he said.

Hyde said about 35 of his former teammates are expected to attend Sunday’s game, including quarterback Josh Allen, left tackle Dion Dawkins and linebacker Matt Milano, to name just three.

The home run derby begins at 1 p.m., with the softball game to start at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at bisons.com.

“There is going to be quite a few guys that are there, and it means the world,” Hyde said. “Even guys that I didn't even play with that are on the roster right now are excited or have heard about the game in the past or are hearing it from guys that are on the team right now, how fun it is and how cool of an event it is. That means the world to myself, my family, the foundation and everybody that's part of it.”