Super Bowl winner Shane Ray is back in the NFL more than five years on from his last appearance after signing with the Buffalo Bills.
The former first-round pick was a member of the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 in 2016, but his time at Mile High Stadium was plagued by wrist injuries, undergoing four surgeries within a two-year span before he was released in 2018.
He spent the entirety of the 2018 season without a roster spot before being signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, but he was released in the final round of roster cuts on the eve of the season.
Two years later, he returned to professional football by signing with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League, racking up six sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 games last season.
At the end of his contract, Ray joined the Bills for their Rookie minicamp as a tryout player and has done enough to earn a contract with the team.
Aged 29, Ray believes he has plenty left in the tank and he shared his delight as pen to paper on Saturday after facing many challenges on and off the field over the years.
“Words can’t describe the emotions I’m feeling right now,” he wrote on Instagram. “So many tears, sleepless nights, depression, everything that comes with losing the game. So many days of having nothing but hope while fighting an uphill battle.
"There were times that I thought maybe I should give up, but I wouldn’t be me if I folded. Even in my darkest moments, I believed in myself. I believed in my preparation. I believed that I would have another opportunity even if the world didn’t believe (in me).
"There are so many people that have been on this journey with me supporting me and I thank you all. When I needed someone to lean on you all wouldn’t let me fall. Most importantly thank you, God!
"It’s official: I’m a Buffalo Bill! I’m so grateful and excited for this opportunity this moment I’ve dreamt about for four years. I’m back!”
Ray was the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 draft and he played his part in a championship triumph in his rookie season, forcing a fumble in the 24-10 Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers at Levis Stadium.
He came up with a career-high eight sacks the following season as he became an integral part of a fearsome Broncos defense, but injuries struck the pass rusher in 2017 and 2018, leaving his NFL career in doubt.
And when many would have assumed his chance had passed him by, Ray has earned another opportunity in the big time.
