Buffalo Bills agree to a two-year extension with FB Reggie Gilliam

Reggie Gilliam, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Reggie Gilliam, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Oftentimes, the special teams unit is overlooked but that hasn’t been the case for the Buffalo Bills. They have shown over the past few years that if a player is a significant part of this group, they want to make sure they stay with the team.

The latest example was on Sunday when it was announced that the team agreed to a two-year extension with Reggie Gilliam. He was set to be a restricted free agent after the season but is now under contract through the 2024 season.

Gilliam was an undrafted free agent signing in 2020 after playing at the University of Toledo and would end up beating out fullback Patrick DiMarco for a spot on the 53-man roster as a rookie. The Bills haven’t typically used a fullback in their offense but Gilliam has made an impact on special teams.

As a rookie, Reggie Gilliam played 49% of the special teams snaps, and this past year that percentage jumped to 77%. In total, he has played 504 special teams snaps compared to only 235 on offense.

For his career, Gilliam has five receptions for 39 yards and one touchdown along with three rushing attempts for three yards.

Reggie Gilliam is another key special teams player to get an extension with Buffalo Bills this offseason

In 2020, the Buffalo Bills made it clear that they value special teams play when they signed Tyler Matakevich and made him one of the highest-paid special teams players at the time. Since that initial contract, he signed an extension that runs through this season.

Then this offseason, the Bills signed Siran Neal to a three-year contract and he is under contract through the 2024 season. Add in the fact that Reid Ferguson is under contract through 2024 and Tyler Bass is under contract through 2023, a majority of the special team’s group is in good shape with long-term stability.