Buffalo Bills' Dawson Knox Contract Update Revealed As TE Listed Cut Candidate

Brandon Beane discussed the need to re-work the veteran's deal before the new league year.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (88) runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

One of the Buffalo Bills’ prime cut candidates this offseason is Dawson Knox, who is set to produce a $17.8 million cap hit under his current contract.

With that number being a bit exorbitant for a player of his caliber, the Bills will work with the veteran tight end to agree upon a reworked deal ahead of the 2026 season. However, there is no guarantee the two sides will reach a pact, as Brandon Beane discussed at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.

The Bills’ President of Football Operations/General Manager revealed where the team and one of its leaders stand at this stage of negotiations.

“He has a tough [cap hit] as we go into the season, so we’ve gotta figure that out, as we do,” said Beane, per WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio. “Dawson and I had dialogue. … So I think it just starts with trust, communication, and honest conversation. And so we’ve had some dialogue.”

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox catches a pass during first half action against the Jets at home in Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 4, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo likely wants to bring back the 29-year-old tight end, who is coming off one of his better seasons in recent years. However, his current cap hit is simply too high for a team that entered the offseason about $10 million over the salary cap. The Bills could open $10.4 million in cap space by releasing Knox before June 1, per Spotrac.

A good year

Knox recorded 36 receptions for 417 yards and four touchdowns while appearing in all 17 of the Bills’ regular-season games in 2025. All four of those totals were increases from the previous seasons. In fact, he had his best season since 2022, when he finished the year with 48 receptions for 517 yards and six touchdowns in just 15 games played.

The veteran was increasingly critical for the Bills’ offense during the ’25 campaign, when he took on an increased role at times due to fellow TE Dalton Kincaid’s ongoing injury concerns. As the team continues to work out a plan to keep Kincaid healthy, it would behoove them to keep Knox around as an insurance option at the position moving forward.

Bills tight end Dawson Knox leaps into the stands to celebrate with fans after scoring the opening touchdown of the game in first quarter against the Jets during the first half of their last regular season game at Highmark Stadium. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With that said, there’s no way they can keep him under his current contract.

“Love Dawson,” added Beane. “He’s been great since we drafted him in 2019, and it’s been fun to watch his career. And even how he handled it after we paid him, then the drafting of Dalton Kincaid and continuing to do whatever this team asked.”

Knox signed a four-year extension worth $53.6 million with the Bills in 2022. He previously agreed to a reworked deal with the team in Mar. 2024, lowering his cap hit from $14.3 million to $7.7M for that season.