One of the bigger mysteries for the Buffalo Bills entering NFL free agency would be if the organization and Dawson Knox would work out a compromise to keep the veteran tight end in Buffalo. Knox’s 2026 cap hit was north of $17 million and both sides knew there was no feasible chance of that happening.
Mystery solved.
Multiple national reports late Tuesday morning say both sides agreed to a new three-year contract that’ll see Knox return to Buffalo for an eighth season.
Knox’s new deal runs through 2028.
The Bills could’ve released Knox and saved $9.64 million against the 2026 salary cap, though it would’ve come attached with eating $7.4 million in dead cap space.
The objective was always to find a number that works for both sides, and that’s what they did.
After lackluster 2023-2024 campaigns that saw Knox catch just 22 passes in each year, the former third-round pick bounced back this season with 36 receptions for 417 yards and four touchdowns despite playing just 58% of the team’s offensive snaps, tied for the lowest of his career.
His 67.7 overall and 68.4 receiving grades from PFF this past season were both career-bests.
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Patrick’s Take: Knox staying feels like a win for both sides. The tight end position was arguably Buffalo’s most consistently productive unit throughout the 2025 season and Knox played a significant role in its success, particularly later in the season when Dalton Kincaid struggled to stay on the field. Knox had six catches for 93 yards in Buffalo’s Week 14 win over Cincinnati and followed it up next week by hauling in two of his three receptions for touchdowns in their big comeback win at Foxboro.
Buffalo tight ends combined for 95 receptions, 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Their tight ends scored just four touchdowns the season before, with Knox having just one.
The 12 touchdowns from tight ends this season was more than all the wide receivers on the team had combined (11).
Again, it was the most consistently productive unit on the team and Brandon Beane’s goal, rightfully was to keep that intact.
His consistent play and improvement with drops (four this year) was enough that I’ll give him a pass for dropping a Josh Allen throw in the end zone in Cleveland that ultimately ended Allen’s five-year run of 40 combined touchdowns.
Knox may’ve been sought after in the open market had he been released but would’ve faced stiff competition with a tight end group that currently includes Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, Zach Ertz and Jonnu Smith among others. It made sense in every way both on and off the field for Knox to remain motivated to stay.
Clearly, continuity means a lot to Brandon Beane and Joe Brady on the offensive side of the ball and with the organization very likely to pick up Dalton Kincaid’s fifth year option and Jackson Hawes entering year two of his rookie deal, keeping Knox has the tight end group set for the next few years.
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