Preseason has a way of showing you more than just the score. It exposes some inherent cracks in the room. Buffalo’s 0-38 no-show in Chicago was bad enough, but the real sting came afterwards, when a young safety admitted he had no clue he was getting yanked for a “rep count.” Things appear to be going from bad to worse for Sean McDermott.
Asked if he knew his snaps would be limited, safety Cole Bishop didn’t exactly sound convinced: “Kinda, yes and no. You never know what happens once the game starts. A little bit.” This is a guy subtly admitting the message in camp didn’t quite match what played out under the stadium lights. He wanted more.
Now let’s hear Sean’s side of the ledger. McDermott painted Bishop’s night as more of a controlled run. 10 to 12 snaps, just enough to start building the “calluses” he wants on a rookie coming off a quad issue. The staff was managing Bishop’s reps to ease him back after missing camp time. Get him a taste of live action without overloading him. It was more a cameo than an audition.
Cole Bishop was pulled from the game because he was on a rep count, said Sean McDermott.
No word on Jordan Hancock’s shoulder injury.
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) August 18, 2025
From the staff’s perspective, that’s smart load management. But when Bishop comes out of the locker room sounding surprised, the safe plan starts to feel more like a disconnect between headset and helmet. Bishop’s not just some wide-eyed rookie anymore. He was a second-round pick (60th overall in 2024) who fought back from a shoulder injury and still put up 40 tackles and a forced fumble as a rookie. He needs to build up from that production to carve out a starting role. So every rep matters.
But at the same time, he didn’t make his case on the pitch to be awarded with more reps. Chicago wasted no time going after Bishop. He was targeted on the opening drive and gave up a 36-yard catch to Olamide Zaccheaus. Not long after, he was out of the game, and rookie Jordan Hancock was taking those snaps instead. So whether the reps were planned or not, he didn’t exactly stake a claim for extra reps. Not today, at least. And if you listen to Sean McDermott? He’s running out of time.
Sean McDermott is losing patience
Sean put a hint of urgency on the Bishop situation this week. “Cole has missed quite a bit of time… It remains to be seen what he is truly able to do for us,” McDermott said. “We’re getting short on time.” It doesn’t look good.
The “short on time” line sticks because it’s tied to real roster math. McDermott made it clear the window to build chemistry and get eyes on young players is closing fast. Bishop has already missed practice reps because of a quad injury. Well, 6 practices and one preseason game, to be exact. So, yeah, time really is running out.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots Jan 5, 2025 Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott watches from the sideline as they take on the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Foxborough Gillette Stadium Massachusetts USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDavidxButlerxIIx 20250105_db2_sv3_022
That missing live work leaves Buffalo’s coaching staff with a real fork in the road. Do they play it safe, keep Bishop on a snap count, and risk rolling into Week 1 with a safety group that isn’t fully game-ready? Or do they throw him in now, force-feed the reps, and hope the live fire pays off?
McDermott’s own comments about being “short on time” make it sound like he’s losing patience with the cautious route. And the math is simple: if you want disguises and rotations to click on the back end, practice snaps don’t replace game snaps. Sean McDermott needs to decide Bishop’s rep counts and the road ahead… in a snap.
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