Bills HC breaks down ‘challenge’ at injury-riddled safety position

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott recently spoke about his team's challenging situation at the safety position.

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

If you’re looking for evidence of the validity of Murphy’s Law, look no further than the Buffalo Bills’ safety situation over the past several months. The team knew it likely wouldn’t be a smooth transition from stalwarts Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer (both of whom departed One Bills Drive in the offseason) to two new starters, but the adjustment has been consistently impeded by injuries.

Buffalo entered its 2024 training camp with a three-way competition between fourth-year defender Damar Hamlin, free agent signee Mike Edwards, and second-round draft pick Cole Bishop for its starting role alongside Taylor Rapp, with the latter two picking up early injuries that sidelined them for the vast majority of camp. Both Edwards and Bishop have returned to practice in very limited capacities in recent days, but their progress coincides with Hamlin recently picking up a hamstring injury; roughly two weeks out from the start of the 2024 campaign, the Bills are not only unsure who their second starting safety will be—but none of their options are at full health.

Head coach Sean McDermott spoke about the safety situation during his Thursday media availability, suggesting that the team’s already challenging status at the position has only been amplified by the ailments.

Related: Key Bills defender held out of practice in ‘preventative’ measure

“It’s been a challenge because, first of all, if you strip the injuries away, we’ve got some new players in there, which is exciting, it’s an opportunity to continue to evolve as a defense, as a secondary,” McDermott said. “With that comes time on task with not only in the system, but with one another. 

“Learning and understanding T-Rapp, whoever that other safety is in there with him, learning and understanding [nickel cornerback] Taron [Johnson]  and the corners and the communication, the symmetry that develops over the course of many reps together. We probably won’t have that to start the year, but we’ll find our way.”

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

McDermott, despite the looming injury concerns, remains confident in the team’s safety situation. Though Hamlin is still listed as week-to-week, the team hasn’t ruled him out for Week 1; the return of Edwards and Bishop to practice also suggests that they may be available for the start of the regular season. The sideline boss is eager to get all three defenders back into practice to help re-familiarize them with the speed of the game ahead of Buffalo’s regular season opener.

“There’s an opportunity there," McDermott said. "There’s an opportunity when people are out for other people to step up. I thought Damar did that and then Damar had the injury, the hamstring last week against Pittsburgh. Just trying to do the best we can at evaluating and helping those players, the new ones, in particular, like Mike and Cole through extra walkthroughs as much as we can to capture the mental reps. 

“As we all know, it’s not the same though as when you’re getting real, full-speed reps where there’s pressure on you to communicate, to diagnose, and process what’s going on. The sooner we can get those guys in that type of environment, the better.”

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