It's official: Percy Harvin is back in the NFL, and he's re-joining the Buffalo Bills.
Harvin's brief retirement lasted about one-calendar year, stemming from a number of concussions and hip issues. Harvin is now healthy, and he's ready to contribute on a Bills team depleted at the receiver position.
The announcement was initially made directly by Harvin's agent on Twitter:
My client Percy Harvin has come out of retirement to sign with the Buffalo Bills for the remainder of the season!
— Greg Barnett (@gbo74) November 1, 2016
Then, a couple hours later, the Bills confirmed the report:
It's official: Percy Harvin is BACK on the Bills!
We've signed the WR out of retirement. https://t.co/iRBveBjb5U pic.twitter.com/z1O4o2UsIr
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) November 1, 2016
Harvin, 28, has played for the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, and Bills. His trademark speed made him a dangerous returner as well as a threat on screen plays and deep passes for each of those franchises.
He joins a Buffalo squad that currently only has three healthy receivers: Marquise Goodwin, Justin Hunter, and Walt Powell.
He developed chemistry with Tyrod Taylor last season, who's pumped about Harvin's return. From Bills Insider Chris Brown:
“That’s my boy,” said Tyrod Taylor of Harvin, who Taylor has known since their high school days in Virginia. “I’m very excited that he’s back.”
Head coach Rex Ryan also commented on what it means to have Harvin back:
“Percy is a guy that worked so hard,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “It’s either full speed (or nothing), and sometimes you try to back him down a little bit, but that’s why last year he was so frustrated that he wasn’t able to contribute more to our team. He just needed some time away from the game to get healed up. So hopefully we catch lightning in a bottle so to speak and Percy is back to himself.”
It will likely take Harvin some time to return to his old form, but he has extra motivation this week as the Bills take on the Seahawks, the team that traded him away after a series of locker room altercations.
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