The Buffalo Bills appear ready to make the decision that’s been coming a while.
Damar Hamlin will no longer be a starting safety.
Hamlin is one of the most inspiring stories in recent NFL memory, but he was one of Buffalo’s weaker defenders analytically in 2024.
Now, the Bills have released their first depth chart of the preseason, and Hamlin is a second-stringer.
In his place? Cole Bishop, who will play alongside expected starter Taylor Rapp.
The Bills took Bishop No. 60 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Utah.
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An injury last preseason prevented Bishop from making a real case to be the starter last season. He ended up appearing in 16 games during the regular season and putting up 40 tackles with two passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Hamlin’s 2024 season included 89 tackles and two interceptions, good numbers on paper.
By the Pro Football Focus grading system, though, Hamlin ranked 108th out of 171 safeties in the NFL in their overall grade category.
To be fair to Hamlin, Bishop ranked even lower (149th), but his limited playing time and inexperience didn’t allow him to climb that leaderboard very well.
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Hamlin should still see solid playing time, because modern NFL defenses often get extra defensive backs on the field.
But it’s a logical move for the Bills to try Bishop as the starting safety. He’s the guy with long-term upside, and if Buffalo wants to win a Super Bowl, it needs to do its best to not have any weak links.
Bishop might not be the answer, but he’s the choice who still could be the answer, and that’s why he’ll get the call in the early going over Hamlin.
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