Darrick Forrest鈥檚 NFL path started out smooth, and his arrow was pointing up after two seasons as a pro football player.
He won a starting safety job in 2022 in his second season with the Washington Commanders and made a big impact. Forrest had four interceptions and 88 tackles.
He started the first five games of the 2023 season, too, before going down for the season with a shoulder injury.
Former Commanders safety Darrick Forrest, shown in a game on Dec. 1, is looking for a new start with the Bills after playing just 74 snaps last season.
After the 2023 season ended, Washington fired head coach Ron Rivera and brought in a new general manager. The decision makers that picked Forrest were gone.
Injury and regime change. It鈥檚 how a multitude of NFL careers get derailed.
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Now, Forrest has a new team, the Buffalo Bills, after signing a one-year contract as a free agent last week. Forrest played just 74 snaps last season. He is looking for a new start.
鈥淚鈥檓 able to prove that I鈥檓 still that same athlete that I was in the 鈥22 season,鈥 Forrest said about his opportunity with Buffalo. 鈥淵ou know, I had setback, but there鈥檚 nothing for me but to just keep going and go back out there and play the same ball that I played.鈥
Forrest gives the Bills some veteran insurance at safety, somewhat similar to their signing last spring of free-agent Mike Edwards. He never worked out, partly because he was injured all spring and summer.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Forrest slots in as the No. 4 or No. 5 safety, behind presumptive starters Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop and returnee Damar Hamlin, who started 17 games last season. The Bills kept five safeties on the roster the first half of last season, but went with four the rest of the way, with veteran Cam Lewis serving as No. 4.
Forrest is intriguing because he has athletic traits that are better than his fifth-round draft status suggests. Forrest ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds before the draft, third best in the 2021 draft class. His 39-inch vertical jump was third best, and his 11-foot broad jump was second best.
But safety is one NFL position where traits mean a little less. Instincts, anticipation and football IQ arguably are more critical at the position. Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, two of the greatest safeties in Bills history, ran 4.54 and 4.56, respectively, before their drafts.
Forrest was the 10th safety picked in the 2021 draft. The book on him coming out of the University of Cincinnati was he played tough coming downhill against the run and closing on receivers, but that his tape didn鈥檛 quite match his timed speed on the field.
Asked to describe his style, Forrest said:
鈥淚 am a high-flying guy that can create turnovers. I鈥檓 a guy that brings a lot of energy. I feel I鈥檓 a leader. I鈥檓 a guy that likes to go out there and create mistakes. So, I feel like I鈥檓 a problem solver.鈥
Former Commanders safety Darrick Forrest tackles Saints tight end Foster Moreau on Dec. 15. Forrest now plays for the Bills.
Forrest ranked second for Washington in tackles in 2022 and missed only six tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, a low number for a full-time safety.
鈥淚 would say I鈥檓 a very physical person,鈥 Forrest said. 鈥淚 like to go out there and play like it鈥檚 important to me. The way that I play is the way that my emotions are expressed. And I like to go out there and be physical.鈥
Bills coach Sean McDermott served as the defensive coordinator to Rivera in Carolina. Forrest said the connection helped.
鈥淚 guess they reached out to Rivera, and Rivera was a high recommendation for me,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t meant lot for me, because Rivera drafted me coming out of college, and he believed in me, so I know these guys believe in me, as well.鈥
Former Washington head coach Ron Rivera gave a good recommendation to the Bills on free-agent safety Darrick Forrest.
After Rivera left, the Commanders signed a starting safety in free agency (Jeremy Chinn) and spent a second-round pick on a safety (Quan Martin, No. 47 overall). Those two started last season. Forrest also was behind No. 3 safety Percy Butler, a fourth-round pick with even better speed.
鈥淚 definitely feel like opportunity was a problem,鈥 Forrest said of last season, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 feel like opportunity will be a problem here because there鈥檚 new doors, and I鈥檓 creating a new space for myself here.鈥
Forrest knew about the Bills鈥 tradition of winning with quarterback Josh Allen, but he will have to familiarize himself with the city.
鈥淒idn鈥檛 know too much about Buffalo,鈥 he said. 鈥淢atter of fact, yesterday I looked it up on the map. I鈥檓 like, 鈥極K, OK.鈥 ... I like the small town, and there鈥檚 a lot of love from the Bills Mafia.鈥
