Bills' important second-year defender may be coming into his own entering Week 3

Cole Bishop was as important as any Buffalo Bills' player not named Josh Allen entering the 2025 season.

The Bills’ safety group has been much maligned since Buffalo moved on from its two former stalwarts, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Last season, due to a preseason injury, second-round pick Cole Bishop was unable to lock down a starting role opposite veteran Taylor Rapp, which forced Damar Hamlin into the starting lineup week after week.

As time went by, Hamlin became one of the more polarizing Bills players in recent memory. After he endured an up-and-down 2024 season, it appeared as if the team was set to turn over the reins to Bishop entering the 2025 campaign. And that turned out to be the case as, despite another preseason injury limiting his availability for several weeks during training camp, Bishop came out of the team’s exhibition slate having locked down a position on the Bills’ first-team defense.

Cole Bishop Damar Hamlin — Bills defensive back Cole Bishop talks with Damar Hamlin between drills at St. John Fisher University Tuesday, July 29, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The entire Bills’ defense struggled in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, allowing quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and company to rack up 432 total yards. Bishop appeared a bit out of his depth in that game, and he wasn’t alone. With that said, the second-year safety helped the entire Buffalo defense rebound with a more impactful performance in Week 2 against the New York Jets.

On Sunday, Bishop led the Bills in tackles with five, one of which came for a loss, and added a quarterback hit and his first career sack. He began the game a step behind on a few plays, including on one occasion when he contacted a Jets defender late in the play but was fortunately able to avoid a personal foul.

"I had a boundary pressure called, so I was listening, so I came through free and was able to get them down," said Bishop on his sack to WGR 550's Sal Capaccio. "I was excited about it."

Cole Bishop (24) coming from depth with a nice fit and finish in the alley, after the Jets get a hat on a hat and gash the Bills run defense

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— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) September 15, 2025

All in all, there were encouraging signs displayed by Bishop against New York, giving Buffalo football fans hope that he may have finally turned a corner in his development. If that proves to be the case over the next few weeks, beginning with a challenging matchup against a talented Miami Dolphins’ passing game, that would bode well for the Bills’ secondary moving forward into the stretch run in a few months.

"This is going to be my first Thursday night game, really," added Bishop. "So trying to take after guys like Rapp, see what I need to do to take care of my body, get ready to go."

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