One key player that the Buffalo Bills extended this offseason was star linebacker Terrel Bernard, giving him a four-year, $50 million deal. He rightfully earned it and he has become the player that Bills were hoping that Tremaine Edmunds would become when he was with the Bills.
Bernard has taken control of the defense and hopefully the duo of him and Matt Milano can stay healthy all season long. This would have been one of the best linebacker duos the last two seasons but Milano missed a lot of time due to various injuries.
While Bernard missed a little bit of time early on in the season, he recorded his second consecutive 100+ total tackle season. He still had one more season left on his rookie deal but the Bills rewarded him with a long-term future in Buffalo as one of their rising stars.
Part of the reason why Bernard has quickly risen to star level for the Bills is because of Bobby Babich, the Bills’ defensive coordinator who was Bernard’s linebacker coach in 2023.
Babich was promoted to defensive coordinator going into last season and it was a great hire. He has a lot of respect from the coaches and players, and has helped both Bernard and Milano become elite players in their respective careers.
Last season, there were times when the defense took a bit of a hit and gave up a lot of points. Obviously, Babich deserves some of the blame but the defense faced injuries down the stretch as well. Despite Babich doing a solid job in his first year of calling plays, Bernard recently told Chris Brown and Steve Tasker on One Bills Live that Babich’s confidence has really stood out to him early on in camp.
#Bills LB Terrel Bernard on the difference he has seen this year in DC Bobby Babich...
— One Bills Live (@OneBillsLive) July 23, 2025
Catch more from Terrel and his entire appearance from today's show here:https://t.co/jbSB5imhC1 pic.twitter.com/H3wibHn4jK
Comments by Bernard has Bills fans excited for what defense can do in 2025
Bernard also talked about how Babich has shown the energy that is getting the defense hyped up and buying into what they want to accomplish.
The defense was revamped this offseason with additions of both veterans and rookies. The defensive line should look a lot better and the secondary has a lot of young promising talent. This unit has been the ultimate factor as to why the Bills have fallen short in the playoffs year in and year out.
Fans do not want to see another great Josh Allen season get wasted because of the defense. The hope is that Babich can take this unit and solidify it as a top unit in the league.