After two days of training camp, the Buffalo Bills appear to have a decided pecking order at strong safety. In his second NFL season, Cole Bishop has taken the bulk of snaps at strong safety with the starting defense. Alongside Bishop, it’s been Taylor Rapp in at starting free safety.
Bishop struggled to acclimate to the position as a rookie during the 2024 season, partially due to a shoulder injury (scapular fracture) he suffered late last July. While Bishop did eventually recover and participate
on defense in his rookie season, it was clear he had a lot of catching up to do.
That injury opened the door for safety Damar Hamlin to claim the starting job next to Rapp. It was a move that Hamlin never relinquished last season, despite plenty of people anxious to see Bishop take his lumps. It was also a role that seemed too big for the rookie.
When given a chance, Bishop struggled throughout the season, whether filling in for an injured Hamlin or perhaps most evident while trying to defend against Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers Xavier Worthy and JuJu Smith-Schuster during last season’s AFC Championship Game. Still, Bishop ended his rookie campaign on a more positive note than it began simply because he was playing more, and gaining experience.
All told, Bishop ended 2024 starting four of 16 games in which he suited up. He made 40 tackles (25 solo), one tackle for loss, two pass defenses, and one forced fumble (per Pro Football Reference). Most importantly, Bishop ended the season healthy enough not to be listed on the team’s final injury reports.
Due to such inconsistent efforts, plenty of questions remained about what head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich planned to do at safety heading into 2025. Could the team trust Bishop enough given his early injury history, struggles, and inability to supplant Hamlin?
It would seem they’ve done just that in the early going, with Bishop continually playing with the ones. If he’s able to limit the bad breaks in coverage and lapses in judgement observed to often last year, Bishop is a player with an athletic pedigree that stands out in the safety room.
Now, he’ll have to prove capable of doing all the other things important of his position: calling defensive coverages and communicating with the back seven units. It’s a role that Hamlin excelled with in 2024, and one likely needed for anyone hoping to lay full claim to Buffalo’s strong safety spot in 2025. Is Bishop ready to become the Bills’ coverage chess piece in year two?
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