If they wait any longer the tight end market might get reset
Tight ends have long been paid significantly less money than wide receivers despite being asked to do more on the field. The wide receiver market ballooned this offseason, but the effects have yet to impact the tight end market. However, that could all change in a number of weeks. Top 10 tight ends Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesiciki are currently under the franchise tag and could reset the market next offseason.
Getting a deal done with Knox before the figures come out on a Schultz or Gesicki extension would be advantageous for the Bills.
I think the league will ignore the figures from the erroneous four-year 56 million dollar extension that the Browns gave David Njoku this offseason. But if the agents of these top tight ends start pointing to those numbers, they could put the teams in a bad position.
I think the Njoku contract was so bad that it won’t factor into negotiations with Knox, but eventual extensions to Gesicki and Schultz will be brought up at the bargaining table which should incentivize the Buffalo Bills to iron out a deal with Knox before those figures come out.