Dalton Kincaid Understood Bills' Offseason Assignment, And Joe Brady Has Taken Notice

It's been a process for Buffalo Bills' tight end Dalton Kincaid, but he may finally be approaching where he needs to be physically speaking.

The Bills' 2023 first-round pick has experienced durability issues over the past two seasons. Although highly productive in 2025 when on the field, Kincaid missed five regular season games while apparently playing through a torn knee ligament.

We wrote about his decision to forego surgery earlier this week when Kincaid addressed reporters with Organized Team Activities (OTAs) Phase 3 underway in Orchard Park.

Entering the last two offseasons, Bills' brass has challenged Kincaid to increase his play strength, and it appears as if he's turned the corner.

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Making his presence felt at Bills' OTAs, the 6-foot-4 Kincaid has noticeably bulked up from head to toe.

"It was cool to see him come back, and he looks bigger," said Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady. "We’re doing some competition, and he's out there kind of dominating it. We did a little tug-of-war. He was the anchor."

Feb 2, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) during AFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Kincaid's OTAs update

With the intention of continuing to progress throughout the remainder of spring, Kincaid explained what's he's accomplished thus far.

"My lower body feels significantly better than this time last year," said Kincaid. "Setting a foundation for strength in the lower body was a big emphasis early on in the offseason. Just getting a lot stronger."

In addition to noticing the tight end's recent physical gains, Brady has seen an uptick in confidence.

"I feel like he's in a really good head space right now," said Brady. "Him and [quarterback] Josh [Allen] always have great chemistry, and keeping him healthy and in a good head space is only going to help us. We know what our offense looks like, or has looked like, with him on the football field."

Kincaid's documented importance to Bills' offense

The Bills revealed their fondness for Kincaid's playmaking ability when they picked up his fifth-year option a couple months ago.

Under contract through the 2027 season, Kincaid figures to play an important role for Buffalo's offense moving forward, especially if his 2025 production level carries over.

Averaging a team-high 14.6 yards per reception (amongst players with at least 20 catches), Kincaid's value became clear over the course of the regular season schedule. Prior to the playoffs, the Bills were 10-2 in games with Kincaid and 2-3 in games without him. In nine of those 10 wins, Buffalo scored at least 28 points.

Dalton Kincaid TD — Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I did a little study of when Dalton was on the field. We averaged seven more points going into the playoffs with Dalton on the field than without him. If you just look at the things and the mismatch that he can be. We need to keep him healthy. We need to armor him the best we can," said Beane early in the offseason when he revealed the club's intention to exercise the fifth-year option.

In addition to a team-high five touchdown receptions over 12 regular season appearances, Kincaid caught TD passes in both of Buffalo's playoff games.

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