BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — In an Instagram post on Monday, Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde said in part, "So much LOVE and way too many THANKS!" as he announced his retirement from the NFL.
"From Fostoria to Iowa City to Green Bay to Buffalo, the goal was to leave an impact. That was one helluva dream. On to the next," Hyde said in his post.
Hyde, who started his career in Green Bay in 2013, came to Buffalo for the 2017 season and made an instant impact on the Bills defense earning AP All-Pro 2nd Team honors and a Pro Bowl selection that year. He was also instrumental that season in helping the Bills snap their 17-year playoff drought.
In 158 career NFL games, Hyde notched 24 interceptions, including two seasons with a career-high five in 2017 and 2021. That 2021 season also marked the second time in his career he was chosen as an AP All-Pro 2nd team selection.
While his NFL career may have started in Green Bay, it's clear the biggest impact both on and off the field in his career came with the Bills.
In 2015, Hyde started the Imagine for Youth Foundation with the goal of helping "financially disadvantaged kids thrive academically and athletically." While in Buffalo, the organization reached new heights as it expanded in 2022.
His love for baseball and his Bills family also sparked the now annual "Micah Hyde Charity Softball Game," which features many of his teammates playing in an offense versus defense softball game at Sahlen Field in Downtown Buffalo.
The Bills posted a thank you to Hyde on social media on Tuesday.
In 2024, Buffalo signed Hyde to the practice squad to help mentor some younger players on the defensive side of the ball, specifically in the secondary.
"Who better than Micah Hyde to have in your building? The most positive guy, team first and selfless," said Bills general manager Brandon Beane during his end-of-the-year press conference. "We know what we expect, you know what our locker room is. Everyone would welcome him with open arms."
Hyde will be remembered as one of the most important additions that led to the rise of the Bills as a now five-time defending AFC East division champions.
