The Buffalo Bills ended their 2025 campaign feeling like an opportunity had been missed. Buffalo put together another strong season, ending the year with 12 wins. However, losses to New England, Miami, and Atlanta doomed the Bills, causing them to drop from the top of the AFC East standings for the first time in five seasons.
The Bills season, once again, ended heartbreakingly. Buffalo could not finish the job in the AFC Divisional Playoff Round, falling to the Denver Broncos in overtime.
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Buffalo started their offseason with a bang, firing head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons at the helm. Owner Terry Pegula highlighted McDermott’s inability to get the team to the Super Bowl as a primary reason for moving on from arguably the franchise’s second-best coach behind Marv Levy.
This series of articles will explore each positional group ahead of free agency. This edition will focus on the Bills secondary.
Season Review
Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop and Buffalo Bills cornerback Cam Lewis tackle Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace during second half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.
Stop me if you heard this one before: injuries decimated a core position group for the Bills. Buffalo entered the season with high hopes for their secondary. After all, the unit, despite undergoing some changes, remained a major strength for Buffalo.
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Christian Benford and Max Hairston suffered injuries and missed time throughout the year. Benford is the team’s CB1, and he had a mostly positive season when healthy.
Tre’Davious White was surprisingly effective this season. There were moments when the veteran got beaten, but for the most part, White performed well for the Bills. Unfortunately, the final memories of White will be visions of the penalty he took in the Broncos playoff game. Even so, White made several big plays this year, including deflecting the Trevor Lawrence pass that led to an interception, sealing the Jacksonville playoff game for the Bills.
Max Hairston was supposed to take control of the CB2 role this year. However, injuries derailed his rookie season, missing over a third of the regular season. Hairston showed flashes of skill that made him a first-round pick.
The safety position was an interesting and surprising one to follow. Cole Bishop developed into a core starter for the Bills. Throughout the season, it was easy to see Bishop’s development and confidence growing on the field. Bishop was paired with Jordan Poyer for a good chunk of the season. Poyer seemed to find the Fountain of Youth, playing like he did during his initial time in Buffalo. Poyer and Bishop added stability to a defensive unit that had some inconsistent play from the front seven.
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Contracts
Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) is broght down after a catch by Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer (21) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 21, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cole Bishop–through 2026
Taylor Rapp–through 2026
Dane Jackson–through 2026
MJ Devonshire–through 2027
Wande Owens–through 2027
Te’Cory Couch–through 2027
Taron Johnson–through 2027
Dorian Strong–through 2028
Jordan Hancock–through 2028
Max Hairston–through 2029
Christian Benford–through 2029
Pending free agents:
Statistical leaders
Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson (32) runs against Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Cole Bishop–85 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, 4 tackles for loss, 7 passes defensed
Jordan Poyer- 70 tackles, .5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 tackle for loss, 3 passes defensed
Taron Johnson–57 tackles, 4 passes defensed
Cam Lewis–43 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 4 passes defensed
Christian Benford–43 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 2 interceptions
Tre’Davius White–40 tackles, 1 interception, 10 passes defensed, 6 tackles for loss
Big Question
Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (31) warms up before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
How will Jim Leonhard’s system impact the secondary?
Benford, Hairston, Johnson, and Bishop will be starters in 2026. The final safety spot is a bit up in the air, as the Bills need to decide if Taylor Rapp, returning from injury, will reclaim his starting job.
The group will hopefully benefit from Leonhard’s aggressive scheme. The secondary shouldn’t have to defend routes as long as they did under Sean McDermott’s system. The hope is that quarterbacks will have less time to throw, forcing more errant throws. In turn, the defensive backs can be more aggressive when matching up in man coverage.
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Draft status
The Bills will look for some depth in the secondary. With four of the five starting spots solidified and other needs on the roster, Buffalo will most likely not emphasize adding to the unit early in the draft. However, the team will look to round out the secondary group through the draft, giving some developmental players time to grow with this group.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 2025 Bills position review: Defensive backs