How Bills Damar Hamlin Re-Signing Affects Buffalo's Depth Chart

When the Buffalo Bills re-signed Damar Hamlin, many fans groaned as the team brought back another familiar face.

Hamlin’s one-year deal came a day after the Bills welcomed back wide receiver Trent Sherfield, signifying an apparent trend back toward the team’s 2025 personnel strategy of recycling talent after beginning the offseason by finding exterior sources to supplement a few key positions.

That said, when you look at safety as a whole, you realize Hamlin’s addition may not have all that much impact on the team’s plan on defense this fall.

Depth chart

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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Buffalo had already signed veteran free agents C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone, and has Cole Bishop returning as an incumbent starter. The expectation is that Bishop and Gardner-Johnson will serve as the team’s starters, with Stone as the team’s primary backup.

Injecting Hamlin into the mix shouldn’t bring any alteration to that plan, as he is better suited in a depth/special teams role at this stage of his career. Let’s look a bit deeper at a birds-eye view of the Bills’ safety position as it stands before the NFL Draft.

The starters

Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) reacts after a play against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Bishop is coming off a career year and is locked in as a first-team player entering his third professional season. He is expected to play a bit more near the line of scrimmage under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and alongside Gardner-Johnson, who has displayed impressive ball-hawking ability in the back end during his career.

If all goes according to plan, it should be Bishop and Gardner-Johnson in the starting lineup come Week 1.

Next in line

Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone (22) reacts and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) looks on during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Stone is an intriguing option behind those two, as he has plenty of starter experience and has also proven to have remarkable ball skills, resulting in 13 interceptions over the past three seasons. He’s started 34 games the last two years for the Cincinnati Bengals, making him an effective backup option.

He may also have an outside chance of competing for a starting role alongside Bishop if things go south for the volatile Gardner-Johnson during training camp and the preseason.

Remaining options

The wild card is Jordan Hancock, whom the team drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 draft. The 22-year-old appeared in 13 games for the Bills during his rookie season, showing some flashes of both brilliance and inexperience while finishing with 22 tackles.

He, Hamlin and Wande Owens round out the safety room, but appear set to compete for depth and special teams roles. Hancock was on the field for 58% of the Bills’ special teams snaps in ’25, while Hamlin played 35% of the Bills’ STs snaps. Owens has yet to make his first career appearance in an NFL game.

So, while Hamlin has become a polarizing figure for Bills fans, and some are getting tired of the same old names being brought back year after year, Buffalo’s safety room has undergone a transition this offseason that can’t be ignored. Things will look a lot different at that position in 2026, and welcoming another vet back into the fold won’t change that.