Micah Hyde Injury: Bills' Ball-Hawk Back After September Neck Surgery

Pro-bowl safety Micah Hyde returned to Buffalo Bills' practice on Wednesday after spending the last 16 weeks on IR with a herniated disc in his neck. 

The 32-year-old is unlikely to be ready to play in the Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins, according to the Pro Football Docs, but could return if the Bills advance further in the playoffs. 

Hyde suffered the injury making a tackle in Week 2 and underwent a likely anterior cervical discectomy with fusion to repair the herniated disc on September 29. 

While reporting from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and comments from Hyde himself projected the neck injury to be season-ending, the Pro Football Docs expressed optimism that Hyde could recover in 3-to-4 months and make a return in the playoffs.

Neck surgery is nothing to guffaw at, but single disc fusion procedures are relatively routine and provide reliable recovery, according to the Pro Football Docs. 

Hyde would be a massive boon to a defense that lost Von Miller to a torn ACL on Thanksgiving and carries a 73.3 pass defense SIC score.