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Buffalo Bills TE could earn 6-figure pay day with productive performance vs. Browns

The Bills' veteran can hit touchdown, reception and yardage totals which would trigger incentives.
Bills Dawson Knox catches a pass and gets tackled by 49ers Renardo Green during second half action of their home game against the San Francisco 49ers in Orchard Park on Dec. 1, 2024.
Bills Dawson Knox catches a pass and gets tackled by 49ers Renardo Green during second half action of their home game against the San Francisco 49ers in Orchard Park on Dec. 1, 2024. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A Buffalo Bills tight end could be on his way to earning a sizable chunk of change.

Dawson Knox is closing in on incentives for touchdowns, receptions and yards and could take home close to a half-million dollars if he secures them all when the Bills head to Cleveland to take on the Browns in Week 16.

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Dawson Knox
Dec 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; 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

The details

Knox can potentially earn $100K each if he reaches 30 receptions, 400 yards receiving and four touchdowns receiving by the end of the season, per Spotrac. And he is just a stone’s throw away from each milestone.

Entering Sunday’s conference tilt, Knox needs just two receptions, 47 yards receiving and one touchdown to trigger each incentive. And if he hits all three, would give himself an additional $300K for an honest day's work. Also, if he finds the end zone three more times by season's end, he will earn $150K on top of the aforementioned cash-ins. He already made $100K when notching 250 yards on the year.

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Dawson Knox
Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (88) leaves the field after a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Career campaign

Knox has turned in one of his best seasons since he was drafted by the Bills in the 2019 NFL Draft, remaining healthy throughout the year while fellow TE Dalton Kincaid has been in and out of the lineup. Not only has his durability been of great significance for this team this season, but his production has taken a step forward from where it was a season ago. In a win over the Patriots, Knox recorded two touchdown receptions, which surpassed Pete Metzelaars' franchise record for most TDs recorded by a Bills tight end.

Knox recorded just one touchdown reception during the 2024 season, which he finished with just 22 receptions for 311 yards. He was a non-factor throughout last year’s slate, but this season, he has made a few critical catches while helping the Bills’ fledgling pass-catching corps develop some level of consistency as the season has progressed.

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Khalil Shakir
Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) runs against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Other incentives

Knox isn’t the only one who can bring home some bacon on Sunday, as wide receiver Khalil Shakir needs just one touchdown reception to cash a $150K incentive, while defensive tackle DaQuan Jones needs one sack to earn $500K and edge rusher Joey Bosa can make $250K with a sack. All contract numbers are per Spotrac.

It could be a big day for several Bills’ veterans, who can add to their bank accounts considerably based on their respective performances against the Browns.

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Alex Brasky
ALEX BRASKY

Alex Brasky is editor of Bills Digest and host of the Buffalo Pregame podcast. He has been on the Bills beat the past six seasons and now joins Sports Illustrated hoping to expand his coverage of Buffalo’s favorite football team.

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