Buffalo Bills perform a safety swap as Rafael Bush retires

Buffalo Bills safety Rafael Bush has decided to retire. Kurt Coleman has been signed on to replace him.

In surprising fashion Buffalo Bills safety, Rafael Bush has decided to step down and call it quits for his NFL career. The eight-year veteran played one season in Western New York.

In Bush’s one season, the 32-year-old played the part of a versatile cog in the Bills’ defense. Though listed as a safety, he lined up at nickel cornerback, as a free-high roamer, and a strong-side support defensive back. In 2018, he tallied 45 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and two QB hits.

Bush had one year left on his contract worth $1.8 million with $300k guaranteed, per Over The Cap. The Bills placed him on the reserved/retired list.

To negate the loss of Bush, the Bills signed former New Orleans Saints safety Kurt Coleman. The Saints released him early in the off-season. The signing will cost Buffalo just over $1 million and can balloon to $2 million with incentives, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Now on his fifth team since 2010, Coleman was used heavily as a dime linebacker in the Saints’ defense. In 2018, he recorded 32 total tackles, one for a loss, and a forced fumble. Before his time in the Big Easy, he was a linchpin for the Carolina Panthers’ defense.

Coleman started every game he played in his three years in Charlotte. In that same stretch, the safety compiled 259 total tackles, nine for a loss, four QB hits, 11 interceptions, and 19 pass deflections. For the Bills, the 31-year-old will play in a similar role as Bush did in 2018.

Another name to watch in the wake of the retirement in second-year Siran Neal. Though Neal was buried in the depth chart as a rookie, he saw an uptick in snaps during Spring practices and impressed as a bigger nickel option to Taron Johnson.