3 vulnerable Bills' incumbents who face serious competition during training camp

It's always been the "Not For Long" league, and it likely won't change anytime soon.

Even well-established veterans must continue to prove themselves worthy of roster spots while younger, faster players push to unseat them.

Since general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott took over in 2017, the Buffalo Bills have seemingly prioritized roster competition. It's a true meritocracy where playing time is earned, not given.

With training camp kicking off this week, there are three Bills' veterans who are likely to see increased competition for the roles they occupied in 2024. It doesn't mean that the grizzled vets won't be the ones left standing at summer, it's simply a warning that they may have to do a little extra to maintain their statuses on the depth chart.

S Damar Hamlin

Authoring the ultimate comeback story, Damar Hamlin won a starting safety spot only 1.5 years after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football. Proving to be a serviceable option alongside Taylor Rapp, Hamlin kept the starting job throughout the 2024 season and into the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Cole Bishop, a 2024 second-round pick, was seemingly drafted to be the Bills' long-term solution at the position. Injuries slowed Bishop's development as a rookie, but he can prove he's ready for the role by impressing during training camp.

With Hamlin unavailable due to injury, Bishop started the AFC Championship Game this past January. He totaled 10 tackles while struggling at times against both the pass and the run. Still, it seems likely the prized second-rounder gets the nod over Hamlin in Week 1. Back on a one-year low-cost contract, Hamlin appears as the most vulnerable of the three incumbents discussed in this post.

Jun 11, 2025; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) makes a catch during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

QB Mitch Trubisky

There are rumblings suggesting Mitch Trubisky's second-string status is in jeopardy this summer with Mike White potentially unseating the former No. 2 overall draft pick. No offense to White, but it's hard to see the Bills dumping Trubisky in favor of a quarterback who has totaled only seven starts over seven years as a pro.

Although he hasn't lived up to his draft status, Trubisky is a proven NFL commodity. He owns a 31-26 record as a starter, including one Pro Bowl season. He has 74 career touchdown passes while White has only 199 completions since being drafted in 2018.

If White were a truly capable field general, one of the many QB-starved teams would have been plucked him off the Bills' practice squad at some point last season.

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (11) looks to throw against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

LB Matt Milano

Since Matt Milano and the Bills reworked the former All-Pro's contract this offseason, there have been multiple misguided analysts ready to shovel dirt on the linebacker's tenure. Some have even gone as far to predict that Milano will lose his starting spot to Bills' LB3 Dorian Williams.

Yes, Milano is on the proverbial back nine, and, yes, Williams is certainly an exciting, capable young talent. Despite all of that being true, Milano is still the best option to start alongside Terrel Bernard until proven otherwise.

Not having an injury to recover from this offseason, Milano, who turns 31 years old next week, enters training camp fresher than he's been in more than two years. There's also the fact that the Bills chose to roll with a recovering Milano, as opposed to Williams during the playoffs last year, and the veteran showed flashes of his old self highlighted by a third-down sack of Patrick Mahomes.

Call it overly optimistic, but it won't be surprising if the battle-tested elder statesman returns to form, helping the only NFL team he's ever played for to chase a Lombardi.

Jun 11, 2025; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58) makes a catch during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium. M | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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