How Much Would Dalton Kincaid’s Fifth-Year Option Cost the Bills?

The Buffalo Bills have several big decisions to make this offseason as they tweak their roster to fit a new head coach and three new coordinators.

Their main goal has to be figuring out a way to open up room under the salary cap. Buffalo is currently over the limit and they must decide what to do with two key free agents. Starting left guard David Edwards and starting center Connor McGovern are both free agents.

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They also have to add more depth in the secondary and must fix the wide receiver position. While all the attention has gone to the areas, the Bills also have a decision to make with tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Buffalo has to decide on whether they want to pick up the fifth-year option in Kincaid’s contract and they have until May 1 to decide. The question now is how much he would make if they decided to add the fifth year.

How are fifth-year option salaries calculated?

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid makes a catch against the New York Jets. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

A Tier 1 player is one who has been named to two or more Pro Bowls. This player is given a salary equal to that of the franchise tag for that position.

At Tier 2, the player gets paid the same as the transition tag. To meet this criteria, the player in question must have made just one Pro Bowl.

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Tier 3 players are those who have not made the Pro Bowl, but have met a high threshold for snap counts. Their salaries determined by using the average of the third-to-20th highest-paid player at the position.

Last is Tier 4, which is a player with no Pro Bowls who does not meet the snap count threshold. Their salary would be tied to the average of the third-to-25th highest-paid at their position. In all honesty, it seems unlikely a team would pay that for someone who isn’t receiving a high snap counts already.

What tier does Bills TE Dalton Kincaid land in?

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid during AFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Kincaid falls into Tier 3, even with one Pro Bowl under his belt. That’s because he was an alternate, meaning he doesn’t qualify for Tier 2. That won’t change even if he makes a Pro Bowl this season, since salaries are set once the option is picked up.

That means, according to Spotrac, Kincaid will make an estimated $8.75 million in 2027 if his option is exercised.

General manager Brandon Beane has removed any mystery, saying earlier in the offseason that he sees no reason that they shouldn’t pick up the final year in Kincaid’s deal.