It was a tough 2025 for Buffalo Bills‘ safety Taylor Rapp, and he may need to look elsewhere for a new opportunity in 2026.
Thanks to a knee injury that lingered since training camp, Rapp’s third season in a Bills’ uniform ended on Injured Reserve with the veteran’s final appearance coming in Week 6.
The 28-year-old Rapp has one more season remaining on a three-year contract, but the Bills can create more than $3 million in salary cap space by releasing him.
Buffalo appears committed to 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop as a starter following his 2025 breakout. New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard referred to Bishop as a “jack of all trades” that caught his attention in the pre-draft process.
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As for what that means for Rapp, time will soon tell.
Sep 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) drops a pass in the end zone under pressure from Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Changes likely make Rapp expendable
After playing out his rookie contract with the Los Angeles Rams, and starting all 17 games for the Super Bowl LVI champions, Rapp joined the Bills on a one-year free-agent contract in 2023.
Rapp played a rotational role during his first season with the Bills, subsequently re-signing to a three-year contract and claiming a starting spot in the secondary.
With the Bills’ change in defensive philosophy, however, Rapp’s organizational value has presumably dipped. The veteran seemingly lacks the optimal speed and size combination for a safety in the 3-4 scheme.
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In fact, nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, who carries a $9.5 million dead salary cap hit, may be better served moving to a safety role in Leonhard’s defense. There’s also 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan Hancock, who showed versatility by transitioning to safety as a rookie.
“There are unique skill sets all around the NFL where guys don’t quite fit in your traditional box of edge defender, defensive tackle, nickel, safety, right? And that’s where I’ve had the most success, in my career as a coach, was finding those guys that fit in a little bit different role, right?” said Leonhard. “Their main value is the versatility that they bring.”
Nov 3, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs with the ball against Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Cap casualties are imminent
Basing calculations off the estimation that the 2026 salary cap will be approximately $303.45 million, Spotrac projects that the Bills will need to trim around $10 million to become cap compliant heading into the new league year.
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The fact that releasing Rapp instantly frees up $3 million in space may be more than enough to convince the Bills to move on from the veteran. Buffalo would be penalized only $667,000 in dead money on its 2026 cap in that scenario.