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Bills just made the Dawson Knox decision that no fans expected to happen

Brandon Ray
Brandon Ray

BuffaLowDown

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (88) reacts during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While the Buffalo Bills did make three moves on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, they weren’t as active as fans were hoping for. They agreed to terms with CB Dee Alford and QB Kyle Allen, while also re-signing punter Mitch Wishnowsky. Now, they just made their fourth move by doing something that fans weren’t expecting.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bills and tight end Dawson Knox have agreed to terms on a three-year deal that will keep Knox in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. This is the third re-signing that the Bills have done in the last week as they have brought back Wishnowsky and center Connor McGovern.

Knox was heading into a contract year in 2026 and with Brandon Beane already saying that the plan was to pick up Dalton Kincaid’s fifth-year option, most people thought that maybe Know was going to be a potential cut candidate or would be taking a paycut to stay in Buffalo. Instead, he gets a new deal.

Bills, TE Dawson Knox agree to new three-year deal

This is a major surprise seeing as how Buffalo could have cleared up a good amount of cap space if they were to move on from Knox, but now he will be staying in a tight end room that has him, Dalton Kincaid, and Jackson Hawes. One thing for sure is that the Bills won’t have a need at tight end for quite some time.

Knox has always had a close friendship with Josh Allen so bringing him back isn’t surprising in that aspect, but his production on the field is not eye-popping. For the past three seasons, he has failed to reach 500 receiving yards and that’s without a true No. 1 wideout for Allen. Kincaid has emerged as the more receiving tight end while Hawes has established himself as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.

Don’t get me wrong, we have seen Knox make some crucial catches but to keep him in Buffalo beyond 2026 is extremely confusing. Now, you have to wonder what happens with Kincaid because if the Bills do pick up his fifth-year option, then he will have a minimum of two years left on his deal. 

Keeping this duo together does make a little bit of sense, but a lot of fans were preparing for Kincaid to become the true No. 1 tight end. Instead, he and Knox will be splitting reps in the offense.

Brandon Ray

Brandon Ray

Brandon Ray is a contributor for FanSided, with main coverage for the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. Brandon joined FanSided in 2023 and has had the chance to cover multiple teams over his tenure. His work has been featured on different media outlets including Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. When Brandon isn't writing about the Bills and Titans, he is planning his next NFL stadium visit trip with his wife. As of the 2025 season, Brandon has been to 8 stadiums.