As training camp closes in, the Buffalo Bills are looking for their starting safety for 2026. They already have Cole Bishop in one spot, but there are plenty of players fighting for the other part of the field.
The safety position was costly for the Bills in 2025, so it's no surprise to see they invested in finding a solution this offseason. Through the draft, free agency, and simple experience for the men already on the team, they have ample competition to discover the answer.
The safeties in the Bills' safety battle
The top name on the list, and for good reason, is Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. 'CJGJ', as he lovingly goes by, won a Super Bowl just two seasons ago for the Philadelphia Eagles. In a league where closers are few and far between, Gardner-Johnson is amongst them.
He has been on multiple teams since that Super Bowl, but if he returns to form, he's the frontrunner entering training camp. If he doesn't, who knows?
The second and final veteran free agent addition to the battle is former Raven and Bengal Geno Stone. He offers the necessary versatility, with plenty of starting experience, and could legitimately push for the starting role.
His wealth of starts come despite being only 27, and a solid season could lead him to a long-term contract. Entering training camp however, he plays with the highest stakes of any safety in this group. If he fails to win the starting role, he offers neither the contract value nor rookie upside that the bottom half of this competition does. Either win the starting job, or lose your roster spot entirely.
The Bills brought in versatile young DB Jalon Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. An elite athlete with an imposing build despite his role, Kilgore is all but a lock to make this roster. He can absolutely win the role to start across from Cole Bishop, but the pressure isn't there for Kilgore. A worthy addition, and a potential contributor we can't rule out, but he will take a back seat as training camp opens.
The last name competing for the starting safety role is Jordan Hancock. Hancock played a bunch of snaps last season, and proved he deserves to be in this conversation. It's not an easy fight for the 2025 fifth-rounder; His on-field experience with his teammates is the lone thing that immediately separates him from the pack here. Still, he's a valuable asset and someone who gets snaps early in training campThat brings his chance to set himself apart.
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