When Brandon Beane sat down with reporters after the 2025 season and basically said, “Yeah, we might have to cut Knox — the cap is a mess,” Bills Mafia didn’t exactly take that well. And who could blame them?
Dawson Knox has been a fixture in Orchard Park since 2019. He’s not just a tight end, he’s been a red zone weapon, a locker room anchor, and one of the more likable players on a roster full of them. So when his $17.1 million cap number started looking like a problem that only a release could fix, the panic was real and justified.
Good news arrived on Tuesday. Knox and the Bills agreed to a new three-year deal, keeping the 29-year-old in Buffalo through the 2028 season. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke the news, and somewhere in Western New York, a wings order was placed in celebration.
Why Knox Staying Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
Numbers first: Knox posted 36 receptions for 417 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2025, playing all 17 games. He was third on the team in receiving yards. But here’s what the box score doesn’t capture. When fellow Tight End Dalton Kincaid was bouncing in and out of the lineup with a torn knee ligament, Knox was the one keeping the position room functional. He played 58% of offensive snaps, stepped up when it mattered, and did it without making it about himself.
The Cap Situation That Almost Changed Everything
This one required some creative accounting on Buffalo’s end, and credit to Beane for finding a path forward. Knox was originally set to count $17.1 million against the cap in 2026, with $12 million in cash due, including a $1.5 million roster bonus that was set to hit on Sunday. Cutting him would have freed up roughly $9.7 million in cap space, which is not a small number for a team that was sitting $11.5 million over the cap before the deal got done.
Instead of taking the easy out, Buffalo restructured Knox’s deal. The new three-year contract lowers his 2026 cap hit and spreads the money out in a way that keeps him on the roster without blowing up the rest of the offseason. It’s the kind of move that looks straightforward in a tweet but required a bunch of work behind the scenes.
Knox Wanted To Stay
There’s a version of this story where Knox takes the bag elsewhere. He’s 29, coming off a productive season, and fresh enough to attract interest. But sources told ESPN that Knox wanted to stay in Buffalo. He wanted to keep working with Tight Ends Coach Rob Boras, and he wanted to play under new Head Coach Joe Brady.
What This Means For the Bills’ Offense Going Forward
Josh Allen now has one of the better tight end rooms in football heading into 2026. Knox brings the veteran presence and receiving ability. Kincaid, when healthy, is one of the better young tight ends in the league. Jackson Hawes, a fifth-round pick from 2025, is already being talked about as one of the best blocking tight ends in football after recording 16 catches, 187 yards, and three touchdowns in his rookie year.
Knox’s Legacy In Buffalo Is Still Being Written
Over 102 games and seven seasons, Knox has hauled in 229 catches for 2,694 yards and 27 touchdowns. He’s a Pro Bowl selection. He’s a franchise all-time leader at his position. And now, with three more years locked in, he has a genuine shot to put up numbers that nobody at tight end in Bills history will touch.
Buffalo still has work to do to get fully under the cap before the new league year kicks off on March 11. But locking up Knox, alongside a new four-year deal for Center Connor McGovern, signals that the Bills aren’t tearing anything down. They’re building, carefully and deliberately, around a quarterback who gives them a chance every single season.
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