Brian Winters, a day after being released by the New York Jets, has agreed to terms with the Buffalo Bills, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. A third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the 29-year-old Winters received 79 starts in 89 games with the Jets. Winters, who became New York's full-time starting right guard in 2016, has had his season end due to injury in three of the previous four seasons. Last season, a shoulder injury ended Winters' season after just nine games. But despite his injuries, Winters played through them and earned a great reputation among his teammates.
"He's putting duct tape all over his body right now, he's banged up," Jets coach Adam Gase said during the 2019 season, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. "But he's fighting through it, he's giving us everything that he's got."
Despite his reputation within the organization, the Jets decided to released Winters on Monday, saving themselves about $7.3 million in cash and cap space. Winters didn't stay unemployed for long, however, as he is reportedly staying in the AFC East by signing with the Bills, a team that recently lost Jon Feliciano, the team's starting right guard in 2019, to a torn pectoral injury. Before signing Winters, Bills general manager Brandon Beane alluded to the possibility of second-year lineman Cody Ford, the team's starting right tackle last season, moving into the inside to help fill the void left by Feliciano's injury. Daryl Williams, Spencer Long, Ike Boettger, Evan Boehm and Ty Nsekhe will also vie to receive more snaps on the interior of Buffalo's offensive line.
Winters won't have to wait long before facing his former team, as the Bills will host the Jets in Week 1.
