Bills Part Ways With Veteran Safety After Trade Request

Getty Kansas City Chiefs veteran safety Mike Edwards took to social media ahead of NFL free agency.

The Buffalo Bills did not find a trade partner for Mike Edwards after his trade request last seek, instead parting ways with the veteran safety ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The team announced on Nov. 5 that Edwards had been released, marking a sharp downturn for a player expected to earn a starting role when he was acquired in the offseason. Edwards instead struggled to see playing time, falling to the end of the rotation in the secondary and asking the team to find a trade partner.

Mike Edwards Free to Find New Team

The team’s decision to release Edwards was not much of a surprise given the report last week from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the safety wanted a trade. Fowler reported that Edwards wanted to join a team where he could take on a more significant role.

“Veteran Buffalo safety Mike Edwards is available and would like to go somewhere he can play (he has been a steady inactive),” Fowler wrote on Oct. 30.

NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that the Bills had already agreed to release Edwards if they could not find a trade partner.

“Veteran safety Mike Edwards asked for and has been granted his release from the #Bills, barring a trade before today’s deadline, per source,” Pelissero wrote in a post on X. “Edwards has appeared in 78 career games (28 starts) but has been a healthy scratch most of this season. Now free to sign elsewhere.”

Edwards joined the Bills in the offseason after playing a significant role on the Kansas City Chiefs on two straight Super Bowl teams. He had 51 total tackles and one interception with five pass defenses last season, adding two fumble recoveries including one returned for a touchdown.

Edwards got off to a shaky start in Buffalo, missing long stretches of offseason practices and training camp with a series of injuries. He was a regular healthy scratch through the first nine games of the season for the Bills, appearing in three games with one total tackle.

Bills Faces Changes on Defense

The Bills had some other unexpected changes to their defense this week, placing veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot on injured reserve after he suffered a wrist injury that will need surgery.

The team has lost some other major pieces of their defense, including linebacker Matt Milano who was hurt in training camp and expected to miss the majority of the season, with the potential of a late return.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team would not know the full extent of Smoot’s injury until he undergoes surgery.

“Sometimes with IR and surgeries, you’re never sure until the doctors get in there and see what exactly the extent of the injury is or was,” McDermott said.

The Bills already placed rookie defensive tackle Dewayne Carter on injured reserve after he underwent wrist surgery. McDermott said on Nov. 1 that the rookie could potentially return.

“He’s going to end up having to get surgery so he will be out multiple weeks,” McDermott said, via the team’s official website.