NFL
James Bradberry Visits Bills as Veteran Corner Eyes 2025 Comeback
Colin Lynch covers the NFL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the New England Patriots. His sports coverage has been featured on The Sports Daily and Basketball Insiders, as well as FanSided's Chowder & Champions. A New Hampshire native and former D1 baseball player at St. John's University, Colin was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2008 and enjoyed a four-year professional baseball career.
Get to know Colin Lynch betterPublished16 Apr 2025
Former All-Pro James Bradberry Looks to Reunite with Familiar Faces in Buffalo as He Makes His Comeback to the NFL.
James Bradberry has seen the highest levels of professional football. He’s played in a Super Bowl, made an All-Pro team, and earned a Pro Bowl nod. Now, after a season lost to injury, the veteran cornerback is aiming for a return in 2025—and he could be doing it with a team on the cusp of a championship.
Bradberry visited the Buffalo Bills this week, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. And if a deal materializes, it would represent a homecoming of sorts: Bradberry was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2016, where he played under then-defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane—now the head coach and general manager in Buffalo.
Veteran CB James Bradberry is making a free-agent visit to the #Bills today, per source.
Bradberry has ties to Buffalo GM Brandon Beane and HC Sean McDermott, who were with Carolina when the Panthers drafted him in 2016.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 16, 2025
From the Sideline to a Second Chance
Bradberry, 30, missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a torn Achilles and Soleus muscle during the preseason. Despite the setback, he remained on the Eagles roster and earned a Super Bowl ring, offering valuable locker room presence even in street clothes.
But he made it clear this offseason: he’s not done. In an interview with The Athletic in February, Bradberry said he’s fully committed to playing again—and not just anywhere, but at his preferred position.
“I want to play corner,” Bradberry said. “That’s where I belong, and that’s where I’ve made my mark.”
Proven Production and Positional Versatility
Bradberry’s resume backs up that confidence. In eight NFL seasons, he’s racked up 19 interceptions and 112 breakups in 125 games, starting 124 of them. He has never posted fewer than 10 defenses in a season, and his consistency has been a hallmark of his game.
Veteran CB James Bradberry is making a free-agent visit to the #Bills today, per source.
Bradberry has ties to Buffalo GM Brandon Beane and HC Sean McDermott, who were with Carolina when the Panthers drafted him in 2016.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 16, 2025
In 2022, he delivered a standout season for the Eagles, earning second-team All-Pro honors while logging 17 defenses and three picks. Two years earlier, he made the Pro Bowl with the Giants thanks to 18 breakups and three interceptions.
And while Bradberry was asked to fill in at safety at times during his last full season in Philadelphia, he’s made it clear that his future—and best fit—remains at corner.
A Logical Fit in Buffalo’s Secondary
Buffalo has made it a point this offseason to shore up its defense, bringing in veteran rushers Joey Bosa and Larry Ogunjobi. The secondary, though, still has question marks after the departure of Rasul Douglas and uncertainty behind returning corner Christian Benford.
The team did re-sign Dane Jackson after a brief stint with the Panthers, and he’s expected to compete for a starting role. But Bradberry, if healthy, would bring much-needed depth, experience, and scheme familiarity to the room.
McDermott’s system is one Bradberry knows well, and the continuity could prove valuable for a Buffalo defense looking to maintain its elite status while chasing that elusive AFC title.
Draft Still in Play, but Bradberry Could Stabilize the Room
Even if the Bills sign Bradberry, it’s unlikely to drastically shift their plans heading into the NFL Draft. They may still target a young cornerback to develop alongside Benford and Jackson. But Bradberry could provide a reliable stopgap—or even starter—while that talent matures.
For a team as close to a championship as Buffalo, experience and reliability matter. And if James Bradberry is healthy, few cornerbacks on the market offer both at such a high level.
For now, it’s just a visit. But it might be the first step in a new chapter for a veteran who still believes he has something to prove—and a team that believes it’s ready to finish the job.
