An ode to Jerry Hughes, from Bills Mafia

If this is the end of seeing Jerry Hughes in a Buffalo Bills uniform, I’d like to shine some light on his time with the team to spread awareness of everything he’s done for the organization. He’s been through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs in Bills’ red, white, and blue. Let’s give him the praise he deserves for not just being a consistent edge rusher for nearly a decade, but being a great teammate and leader in the community as well. It would truly be the end of an era if Hughes doesn’t return.

Bills GM Brandon Beane has made a lot of additions to the defensive line this offseason. Aside from solidifying the interior of the d-line, Beane has made moves to acquire Von Miller and Shaq Lawson in free agency to bring pressure on the edge – a place Hughes has called home for nine years. Combine that with having young, promising defensive ends on the roster already – Gregory Rousseau, Boogie Basham, and AJ Epenesa – and it’s hard to see a place for Hughes to remain on the Bills’ roster.

Signing Miller brings a proven superstar to the edge, a guy who is a two-time Super Bowl champion, a Super Bowl MVP, a three-time First-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler. You can’t blame the Bills for wanting to bring in a player of that caliber to try and take them from a contender to ultimately hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Perhaps with the new deal for Miller, and the large contracts for Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, the Bills need to pick and choose where their salaries are allocated. Hence the reason Lawson was brought in on a veteran minimum deal, and Rousseau, Basham and Epenesa are on rookie deals.

Hughes was brought to Buffalo in one of the best trades in Bills’ history. On April 13, 2013, the Bills sent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard to the Indianapolis Colts in a player-for-player swap. At the time, Hughes was a struggling third-year linebacker with the Colts after being a first-round pick in 2010.

Since that trade, Hughes came into his own as an edge rusher. He recorded 10 sacks in each of the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and was a big piece in the Bills’ dominant defensive line in 2014 (the ‘cold front’), consisting of Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcel Dareus under the reigns of DC Jim Schwartz. That unit was truly special to watch for Bills fans, as they hadn’t seen a defensive unit dominate like that since the early 2000’s.

Hughes, while being a consistent force in his edge position, was faced with playing on a lot of bad-to-mediocre Bills teams throughout his career. He’s played under three head coaches and two general managers, while being a vital piece to a Bills defense that has been at the top of the league for the majority of Hughes’ tenure (meanwhile, Sheppard bounced around the NFL for six seasons before being phased out of the league). Before Season McDermott came on as head coach in 2017 and brought the Bills to the playoffs for the first time since 1999, the Bills averaged just 7.5 wins in Hughes’ first four years.

While the team was struggling to win games, Hughes was racking up pressures and statistics on the defensive line. In his nine years with the Bills to date, he has recorded 117 QB hits, 74 tackles for loss, 235 solo tackles, 53 sacks, and 16 forced fumbles. He had double-digit QB hits in 7 of his first 8 years in Buffalo (9 QB hits in 2019). Over the three-year span of 2018, 2019 and 2020, Hughes’ 19.8% pass-rush win rate ranked fifth in the entire NFL among qualifying players at his position.

In week 14 of 2020, Hughes played a major role in the division-clinching win over the Denver Broncos – the first AFC East division title since 1995. He returned a fumble for a touchdown in the 48-19 victory, making numerous Broncos miss on his way to the end zone:

Hughes’ efforts aren’t just seen on the field. He always made time to positively impact others while wearing his Bills’ colors proudly. Participating in Jim Kelly’s charity events, Micah Hyde’s charity softball games, and aiding in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts are just a few examples of using his reach for the greater good.

Hughes will be 34 years old for the 2022 season. While he may not be on the Bills’ roster for their Super Bowl runs in the upcoming years, one place he will remain is in the hearts of Bills Mafia. No one will be quick to forget the dedication he had to the organization through troubling years and Bills fans will always remember him for haunting opposing quarterbacks, causing turnovers, and being part of a stretch of dominant Bills’ defenses.

During his Bills career Hughes missed only one game, which was due to resting in Week 17 of 2020 after they had already clinched the AFC East. He is currently fourth all-time in sacks for the Bills, as he passed Cornelius Bennett on the list this past year. And, he’s one of four Bills players to have 5 postseason sacks.

From all of Bills Mafia, whether it’s with the Bills or not, we wish you success in your next chapter, Jerry.