Brandon Beane will have his work cut out for him this offseason to not just get the Bills under the cap, but to also create space to add players in free agency. On top of that, he and his staff will have to do a great amount of scouting on players coming into the draft in April.
The Bills are heading into an offseason where some unpopular decisions might be made, but from a financial perspective, it’s necessary. Buffalo has five players that have huge cap hits going into this offseason and there is a great chance that Beane will work his magic to get the number lowered in order to create room in the salary cap.
Here are the five Bills players who currently have the highest cap hits on the team going into this offseason, per Over The Cap.
Top 5 highest cap hits on Bills going into 2026 offseason
5. TE Dawson Knox - $17,068,000
Knox is set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, and with Beane already saying that Dalton Kincaid’s fifth-year option could very well be picked up, maybe there is a world where Knox is on the team in 2026 especially when you see his cap hit.
Since signing his contract extension with the Bills in 2022, Knox has only gone over 500 receiving yards once in a season. The fact that he has one of the highest cap hits for the Bills and he’s not even the top tight end is unreal. With Kincaid and Jackson Hawes showing great promise last season, Knox’s future in Buffalo could very well be shorter than fans may think.
4. RT Spencer Brown - $19,390,000
Spencer Brown didn’t have a completely outstanding 2025 season, but he was still solid in run blocking. It took Brown to develop a bit as his career started with injuries and inconsistent play. But then once Aaron Kromer took over, Brown’s production really stepped up and he has become one of Josh Allen’s best protectors.
Now that Kromer is retired and Pat Meyer is taking over, Brown will look to keep growing as Buffalo’s right tackle.
3. DT Ed Oliver - $23,920,000
Buffalo certainly missed Ed Oliver’s presence in 2025. He only played in 3 regular season games after missing time to a foot injury, and then eventually landing on the IR with a bicep injury. The Bills couldn’t stop the run at all, or create pressure up the middle against the pass.
Oliver is set to return next season in the starting lineup, but his cap hit is no joke especially when you look at the recent injuries and a little bit of inconsistency back in 2024. The Bills can open up over $8 million if Oliver’s contract is restructured.
2. LT Dion Dawkins - $24,837,834
The Bills’ franchise left tackle has been beyond consistent for the offensive line, and has done a great job at protecting Josh Allen’s blindside. He is beloved by the team and the community.
Since being drafted, Dawkins has consistently met or exceeded expectations. In order to protect your franchise quarterback, there has to be a great blindside protector. Dawkins has been that since he and Allen started playing together.
1. QB Josh Allen - $56,388,000
We knew that this was coming. Josh Allen has an extremely high cap hit on the Bills, but no one should be surprised. He is the reigning MVP of the league and has carried the Bills to wins throughout his career. If you want to be one of the best teams in the league, you need a star quarterback. The Bills have that in Josh Allen.
Maybe he gets a contract restructure to help provide salary cap room, but Allen has given the Bills everything he has and his cap hit is not as bad as it may look when you look at what he has done for the team.