Bills bring back an all-too-familiar face at the perfect time just days before playoff showdown against the Jaguars
An exciting addition at the perfect time for Buffalo.
The Buffalo Bills are bringing back a familiar face for their playoff push, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. After the loss of Maxwell Hairston, as head coach Sean McDermott claimed he would be unlikely to play, the team brought in some help at the cornerback position.
Daryl Porter Jr. returns to Buffalo after being released by the team early in the offseason. Porter Jr. was one of the team’s 2025 undrafted free agents. He was released in July to make room for wide receiver Deon Cain, who was later released. Porter Jr. joins the team’s practice squad.
The talented defensive back started his collegiate career at West Virginia University before transferring to the University of Miami. Current Buffalo Bills cornerback coach Jahmile Addae coached at Miami when Porter Jr. played there, bringing some more familiarity to the locker room.
He totaled 108 tackles, one interception, and 18 passes defended. What’s more, he’s the son of NFL defensive back Darlyn Porter Sr., who had spent time with the Bills in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Porter Jr. was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Bills wasted no time scooping him up.
Welcome to Buffalo, again, Daryl Porter Jr.
If nothing else, Porter Jr. provides some key depth on the practice squad. McDermott himself brought up how the team was landlocked, forcing them to play Hairston and Tre’Davious White longer in the matchup against the New York Jets than the head coach may have liked.
Depth is important this time of year. Remember in the loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs when the team had to trot out cornerback Kaiir Elam, which proved to be an utter disaster? This move feels like one where the team is just trying to stay ahead of injuries.
I spoke with A to Z Sports Pittsburgh writer Rob Gregson about what the move means for Buffalo.
“Daryl Porter Jr. didn’t play much of a role in the Steelers’ secondary, as he was primarily used on special teams, but he brings two things to the Bills: familiarity after spending time with them in the offseason, and more importantly, intel. Now the Steelers have to worry about getting past the Texans first, but should they continue to pull off upsets, there is a good chance they have a date with the Bills down the road. Acquiring a player who has spent time in the opposing locker room, especially when he only takes up a practice squad spot, is smart business for the Bills.” – Rob Gregson
In January, every edge matters, and the Bills may have just picked up one without taking on any real risk.
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