The Buffalo Bills have what seems like 2 solid starting safeties in Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Solid on paper, anyway.
The Bills moved to add more depth at safety on Friday by signing UFL star D.J. Miller.
“The Buffalo Bills signed Columbus Aviators DB D.J. Miller Jr. today,” UFL/NFL reporter James Larsen wrote on his official X account on Friday. “Miller is coming off a strong UFL campaign, with 29 tackles, 5 PBU’s, and 3 interceptions. Generated legitimate NFL interest before signing to Buffalo.”
Miller, 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, played his 1st 3 seasons of college football at Iowa State before transferring to Kent State for his final 2 seasons, where he had 50 tackles, 1 interception, 3 pass deflections, and 1 fumble recovery as a senior in 2023.
He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. Miller played for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers in 2025 before landing with the Aviators in 2026.
The Bills released safety Wande Owens in a corresponding move.
D.J. Miller has signed with the Buffalo Bills 🦬
#UFLtoNFL
Cole Bishop Could Become Bills Star in 2026
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Bills might have a star in the making with Bishop, who seems primed for a breakout season in 2026.
“Over the past year, however, safety Cole Bishop has (become) Buffalo’s centerpiece star of the future,” Knox wrote on July 5. “A second-round pick out of Utah in 2024, Bishop appeared in 16 games as a rookie but made only four starts. He started all 17 games this past season, though, and performed extremely well. Bishop tallied 85 tackles, two sacks, seven passes defended, and three interceptions while playing 91 percent of the defensive snaps. He also allowed an opposing passer rating of only 65.6 in coverage. He also filled multiple roles on the defense, seeing time at free safety, in the slot, and in the box. If Bishop can build on his impressive sophomore campaign, he’ll cement himself as a mainstay in the secondary and one of the faces of Buffalo’s defense.”
Bishop has plenty of motivation to perform at the highest level in 2026. He’s headed into the 3rd season of his 4-year, $6.5 million rookie contract and could play his way into a lucrative contract extension after the season.
Bills Brought in Volatile Safety to Pair With Bishop
The Bills made a boom-or-bust investment to pair alongside Bishop as the other starting safety in 2026 by signing Super Bowl champion C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a 1-year, $3.5 million contract.
Gardner-Johnson, 28, led the NFL in interceptions in 2022 and is on his 7th team in 8 seasons — including 2 separate stints with the Eagles — and his 4th team in the last 15 months.
The Eagles traded Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans shortly after their Super Bowl win in February 2025, and he was cut by the Texans just 3 games into his tenure. He was briefly on the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens before finishing the season with the Chicago Bears.
Gardner-Johnson has already run afoul of the Bills coaching staff after head coach Joe Brady had to step in and shut down Gardner-Johnson’s livestream from the locker room on Wednesday.
“One of the narratives is I’m a cancer in the locker room,” Gardner-Johnson told The Athletic’s Tim Graham. “That just came out when? After Houston? Where was that after the Super Bowl loss? Where was that after the Super Bowl win? When we do our homework and really think about it, where have I been a cancer?”
Bills Sign Free Agent Safety Following UFL Star Turn