A former first-round pick and Super Bowl winner is making his NFL comeback with the Buffalo Bills after more than four years. This is the story of Shane Ray.

This story is arguably the epitome of a second chance. After more than four years, Shane Ray is making his comeback to the NFL.

The former first-round pick could hardly believe it himself when the Buffalo Bills signed him.

“Words can’t describe the emotions I’m feeling right now,” he wrote in a post on social media:

“So many tears, sleepless nights, depression, everything that comes with losing the game. There were times I thought maybe I should give up but I wouldn’t be me if I gave up. I believed that I would get another chance, even if the world didn’t. “

Ray: “I’m back “

Further, the defensive end wrote: “It’s official, I’m a Buffalo Bills player!!!! I am so thankful and full of anticipation for this opportunity, this moment I have dreamed of for four years. I’m back!!!”

That he would make his comeback to the NFL at the age of 29 is something no one probably thought would happen in 2015 – certainly not Ray himself, who was picked 27th overall in this year’s draft by the Denver Broncos.

But not only that. In his rookie season, the defensive end drew attention with 20 combined tackles and four sacks.

In the following season, the big highlight: Ray celebrated the Super Bowl victory with the Broncos. He played a major role in this success with eight sacks and two fumble recoveries (spread over the season).

Wrist injury slowed Ray

However, a wrist injury subsequently slowed him down – for a full half of the 2017 season.

After that, pretty much everything changed for the promising defensive end. When his rookie contract with the Broncos expired, Ray signed with the Baltimore Ravens before the 2019 season.

His – to date – last stop in the NFL, as he was cut by the franchise before the regular season.

Four years later, he was allowed to show his stuff at a Bills minicamp and actually got an offer. In Buffalo, Ray will meet his former Broncos teammate Von Miller.

What was Ray doing in the meantime?

After being released by the Ravens in August 2019, Ray first took a break from football. Especially since he was likely still carrying around his wrist injury.

But in February 2021, the former first-round pick made his comeback on the field – albeit with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.

But his stats in 2022 prove that he is still a good defensive end. Six sacks and two forced fumbles were on the books in the end.

Why do the Bills sign Ray?

The reasons Buffalo is signing him are all obvious. For one, signing Ray doesn’t pose much of a financial problem for the Bills. So there’s not much risk involved in signing him. In return, the team gets a man with NFL experience.

On the other hand, Ray has proven himself in minicamp and shown that he still has the talent he once had and is now back in the groove. This is shown not least by his stats from Toronto.

Now Ray gets his second chance in the NFL with the Bills and it’s up to him what he makes of it.