Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop might be taking in his first NFL action on Saturday when his team hosts the Carolina Panthers in their preseason finale.
Bishop was wearing a red non-contact jersey in practice this week. He’s recovery from a shoulder injury but it’s unclear whether or not Bishop will be good in time for kickoff. He has yet to feature in the preseason.
Regardless, the positive update has been a welcoming one for the second-round rookie.
“Good to be back out there,” Bishop said via video conference. “Obviously I’d rather be out there playing but its been an opportunity to get out there and get some mental reps. Different perspective when you’re on the sideline, you’re able to see more.”
Despite the positive improvement, Bishop still might have a ways to do. Buffalo defensive coordinator Bobby Babich made that known this week.
Babich mentioned that Bishop knows he’s “behind the eight ball” in terms of knowing he has catching up to do.
“We’ve been able to do a couple of things here and there,” Babich said. “We’ve used some different resources and things of that nature, different ways we can test him mentally. When the bullets are flying on game day or even in practice, for that matter, it’s different. It’s a day-by-day process, and he’s got to continue to grow.”
As noted, it remains to be seen if Bishop gets on the field in time for Saturday’s 1 p.m. kickoff. It wouldn’t be the worst thing for a rookie to get his feet wet in the NFL before the regular season. Bills Wire will provide updates when information is made available.
For more from Bishop, see the attached clip below: