One player for the Buffalo Bills that will be watched closely this upcoming season by both fans and Brandon Beane will be third-year tight end Dalton Kincaid. The Bills traded up for Kincaid in the 2023 NFL Draft in hopes that he could help become a Travis Kelce-like weapon for Josh Allen. While he has shown signs of promise, he regressed a bit last season due to a knee injury.
Playing in just 13 games last season, Kincaid only managed to put up 448 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Averaging just 34 yards per game in the regular season and having no more than 47 yards in a game in the playoffs isn’t exactly living up to the standards of being a first-round pick.
However, he’s only halfway through his rookie contract (with the potential 5th-year option on the line). This upcoming season, this has to be a statement year from Kincaid. Players going into the third year of their rookie contract as a first-round pick are fighting for the team to pick up his rookie option after the season. If Kincaid doesn’t show some major improvement in 2025, his time in Buffalo could be shortened more than fans (and Kincaid) had hoped for.
The good news for Kincaid right now heading into the summer is that he has a big supporter on his side to take a major step forward in 2025.
Bills' fan-favorite is showing major love for Dalton Kincaid
According to Alex Brasky, Bills’ Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins talked about how excited he is for Kincaid in 2025. Specifically, Dawkins said Kincaid “is going to explode.”
The confidence that Dawkins is expressing about Kincaid is encouraging. After a strong rookie season in 2023 (73 receptions, 673 yards and 2 touchdowns), Kincaid took a step backwards last season. That’s okay, but it can’t happen again in a crucial year. Even though Buffalo has an offense that gets everyone involved no matter what, Kincaid has to find a way to be arguably Buffalo’s best weapon in the receiving game.
The biggest thing that fans need to hope for is that Kincaid is on the field healthy and ready to go. The last thing we need is Kincaid on the sideline taking of an injury like he was in the middle of last season. Big things are expected of Kincaid in 2025 and Bills fans need to hope that he lives up to the expectations.