More than 900 days have passed since Nyheim Hines last played in a regular-season NFL game. On a humid afternoon in Weddington, North Carolina, the former Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts running back is putting in the work to return to the league. Once one of the NFL’s most electrifying returners, Hines is now fighting to rewrite a career abruptly disrupted by a jet ski accident in 2023.
How Is Nyheim Hines Rebuilding His NFL Career After Two Years Away?
At 28, Hines has faced more than just physical rehab. The jet ski incident cost him the entire 2023 season. It required ACL and LCL surgeries, becoming a defining moment in his career. “I’m far from done, and the story is in my hand,” Hines told The Charlotte Observer. “I put myself in this position… but the pen is always in our hand, based on our performance.”
A former First Team All-ACC sprinter at NC State with elite speed, including a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 NFL Combine, Hines never lost his straight-line burst. However, the rehab process was about much more than speed. It was about recovering his trademark twitchiness, his confidence, and most of all, his peace of mind.
The mental side proved just as challenging as the physical recovery. Hines admits he had to tune out the online mockery and come to terms with his own mistake. “You can say whatever, but those things hurt,” Hines said. “I’m human.” He relied on his agent Ed Wasielewski, his therapist Dr. Tracy Warhop, and his family, especially his mother Nannette Miller, who has fought muscular dystrophy for years.
His strength came from a detailed tattoo on his wrist that was engraved with Bible passages and green ribbons to raise awareness of muscular dystrophy. “Even through the first year and a half… I would just look down at my wrist, and it gave me a lot of motivation,” Hines said.
What Challenges Did Hines Face With Cleveland in 2024?
After signing with the Browns in 2024, Hines was again sidelined when he was placed on the non-football injury list and never suited up. At the same time, his mother’s health deteriorated, leaving him emotionally stretched. Yet he found inspiration in teammate Nick Chubb, who was also rehabilitating from a serious knee injury.
“My biggest inspiration is Nick Chubb,” Hines said. “We did everything together.”
Now training in Charlotte with Stafford Gatling, owner of Stay Ready Performance, Hines looks physically rejuvenated and mentally recharged. “My confidence is ‘I’m back,'” he declared.
Ex-#Bills and #Colts RB Nyheim Hines is working out in the Charlotte suburbs to relaunch his NFL career.
This week, @theobserver spent time with Hines as he attacked his workout routine and dished on his road to recovery.
Inside the comeback mission: https://t.co/Q5qrciUMy0 pic.twitter.com/gqjohDW9pf
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) July 11, 2025
While he knows he’ll likely start as a returner, Hines believes his offensive value remains intact. “I’ve always been an elite returner, but I feel like I’m an offensive player with elite return abilities.”
Hines views his comeback as a deeply personal mission, one he is undertaking for himself and his family and supporters back home in Garner and Raleigh. “I’m a special player,” Hines said, “and I’m getting back to the athletic form that once made me a top player in this league.”
