The Buffalo Bills have announced the signing of offensive tackle La’el Collins on a one-year contract. This news was confirmed by Collins’ agent, Peter Schaffer, in a text to The Associated Press on Thursday. After missing the entire previous season due to a knee injury sustained while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022, Collins has returned to his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.
Collins brings valuable depth and experience to the Bills behind returning starters Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. He also has experience playing at left guard during his rookie season and has started 86 of 89 career games. Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2015, Collins has faced challenges, including injuries and off-field issues.
Collins was once considered a top prospect before his draft stock dropped during an investigation into the murder of his ex-girlfriend, where police stated he was not a suspect. He was sidelined for the entire 2020 season following hip surgery and faced a five-game suspension the following year for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. During his suspension, Collins sued the league with two games left and allegations surfaced that the NFL accused him of bribing a drug-testing official. However, Collins’ agent vehemently denied these claims.
