“Cole (Bishop) has missed quite a bit of time… It remains to be seen what he is truly able to do for us,” Coach Sean McDermott didn’t hesitate to share his expectations. The Bills’ safety finally returned as a full participant after dealing with his quad injury. Amid the battle for position after Taylor Rapp, Bishop missed nearly six practices and the preseason game against the Giants. As he made his comeback in the preseason game two against the Bears, expectations were sky-high. But did he live up to them?

In his debut game this season, Bishop was late on one catch over the middle to Bears tight end Colston Loveland and later gave up a 36-yard touchdown to Olamide Zaccheaus. McDermott clearly wasn’t impressed. As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted, Bishop needs to prove himself quickly to keep his position on the roster. “After essentially handing Bishop the starting job in the offseason, perhaps McDermott’s words were a not-so-subtle reminder that Bishop isn’t guaranteed anything, and that urgency is immediately needed,” Buscaglia wrote.

With an underwhelming performance, Bishop risks losing the coach’s trust. While speaking about locked-in player Rapp, McDermott stressed the need and urgency of having another safety to play alongside him. “I think we’re looking for that other safety to play alongside of (Taylor Rapp). There’s been really good moments for all those guys back there, young and some of the more veteran guys that are back there to play for us,” McDermott said.

The coach has always been careful with his words, and his gentle reminder could mean bigger problems. Sean McDeromott is either unconvinced and running out of patience with his current options, or it is simply his way of getting Bishop to step up. In either case, Bishop will need to get back to his rhythm as soon as possible. He noted that the Bills’# 24 has only recently returned from injury, so he hasn’t had much time to build himself back up yet. Sean McDermott acknowledged that Bishop has the ability and skill to succeed, but he’s still in the refining stage and needs to take it one day and one rep at a time.

And as Buscaglia pointed out, the organization is impressed with Bishop’s potential. The Bills have had issues with coverage from the safety position, and Bishop was expected to help fix that. So, the 22-year-old will still likely be in the starting lineup, but he’ll be scrutinised even more while facing severe competition as well.

The Bills’ position battle is getting more intense

After the embarrassing 38-0 loss, the battle for the Bills’ other safety position has only grown more intense. Alongside Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Tre Herndon, Darrick Forrest, and rookie Jordan Hancock are all competing for the spot. And the latest practice session is a reminder that the competition will only get tougher with time.

Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich emphasized the positive of having Bishop back in practice. He added that the team is still in training camp, and progress, though perhaps delayed, is being made. “I think when you look at it, there’s a lot of different pieces, moving pieces right now. We’re seeing progress. Maybe it’s delayed progress, but we’re seeing progress,” Babich said.

At the same time, newcomer Forrest is adjusting to the Bills’ system after four seasons in Washington. He started 17 of his 40 games with the Washington Commanders. Is it too soon to judge? Both coaches feel that it is.

Bishop is in line to reclaim the starting free safety spot if he can stay healthy and perform well in training camp. Damar Hamlin, who started last year due to Bishop’s preseason injury, remains a reliable backup. With three other talented players in the mix, the position is still wide open.