Four Buffalo Bills Players Entering Make-or-Break Offseason

A few Bills players will likely have to compete for their roles moving forward under Buffalo's new leadership team.

Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (73) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) warms up prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills are entering a new era with Joe Brady being hired as the team’s next head coach.

With the change in leadership will surely come a transformation of the Bills’ roster, as new players will be brought in to fit Brady’s style, along with that of new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. That will leave several current Bills players in a position to prove their worth moving forward.

Here are four players who will endure a make-or-break offseason over the next few months, leading into the 2026 campaign.

RELATED: Three Exciting Buffalo Bills' Trade Possibilities Entering 2026 Offseason

Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) warms up prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

LB Terrel Bernard

Bernard dealt with a few injuries during the 2025 campaign. Still, when he was healthy, he was simply atrocious. The undersized linebacker was a liability in run support and really struggled across the board defensively. There is a chance the team’s shift defensively may better suit his skill set. But based on his performance this past season, Bernard has a long way to go if he is to remain a team captain and one of the organization’s foundational defensive pieces.

MORE: Three Buffalo Bills Players Under Most Pressure to Perform in 2026

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) reacts after a sack in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

DT Ed Oliver

Despite battling several significant injuries that greatly limited his playing time, Oliver was effective when on the field this season. However, it remains to be seen where he will line up in Leonhard’s defense and how he will adjust going forward. There is a chance Oliver could be traded over the next few weeks or months. But if he is to remain in Buffalo, he may have to adjust his play style to suit what is expected of him. 

RELATED: Fitzmagic Makes Bold Prediction on Buffalo Bills' Fate in AFC East

Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson argues the call for holding with back judge Scott Helverson during overtime at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CB Taron Johnson

Johnson is a former All-Pro who was a key cog in former head coach Sean McDermott’s defensive system. However, the 29-year-old has shown signs of aging, and it remains unclear how his role will be defined in a new defensive system expected to transition to a 3-4 scheme. If he hopes to stick around as a key contributor, he has his work cut out for him this offseason.

MORE: Buffalo Bills' Shocking Position in AFC Champion Odds Revealed After Super Bowl LX

LT Dion Dawkins

After taking a step back in terms of his production in 2025, there have been recent rumblings regarding a potential trade involving the Bills’ left tackle.

While it seems unlikely that Dawkins will be shipped off to another team, he will undoubtedly have to improve heading into 2026, and has already appeared to take steps in doing so. The soon-to-be 32-year-old recently said on One Bills Live that he will be dropping weight this offseason in hopes of becoming more mobile at the position.