Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott shared some thoughts on safety Cole Bishop this week, and they came with some sense of urgency.
“Cole has missed quite a bit of time… It remains to be seen what he is truly able to do for us,” McDermott said. “We’re getting short on time.”
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Ahead of last season, Bishop followed University of Utah teammate and Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid’s footsteps thanks to a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
GM Brandon Beane had parted ways with a flurry of players on the roster to get the team’s salary cap situation where it needed to be. One of the things he pointed out was that the team would likely look to bring in players through the draft who could be more immediate contributors.
Bishop was one of those players, playing his rookie season in the defensive backs rotation behind starter Damar Hamlin and bringing speed and coverage abilities needed in the safeties group after starting with an injury setback in his first training camp.
His development has been such that he and Hamlin have switched on the depth chart during the preseason, with Bishop taking over as the starter. And he’d impressed in camp early on this year.
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That is, until the young safety missed time again with a quad injury. Six practices and the first preseason game, to be exact.
He’s not been alone, as starter Taylor Rapp’s been out with an injury as well, though, to McDermott’s point, the starting job appears to be Bishop’s to lose per the first unofficial depth chart.
Even if Bishop starts the year working his way back on the field, he has a good shot to see regular time and potentially as the starter across from Rapp. He put together solid play as last season went on.
With an offseason program of development behind him, the Bills’ front office and coaching staff are hoping he’ll do the same throughout this year as well. Hopefully, getting started sooner rather than later.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills’ Sean McDermott on Cole Bishop injury: ‘Getting short on time’