A new era is upon the Buffalo Bills — sort of. They promoted from within to fill their head coaching vacancy, signing offensive coordinator Joe Brady to a five-year contract to become the club's new leader.
Brady's arrival is a sign the Bills didn't want to make the change of firing Sean McDermott any more drastic than it already was. They just needed a new voice to listen to after hearing the same one for nearly a decade. However, whether Buffalo likes it or not, the former's elevation will create a ripple effect.
As Brady puts his fingerprints on the post-McDermott Bills, veteran tight end Dawson Knox's future could suddenly be in the crosshairs.
Bills promoting OC Joe Brady to head coach may spell trouble for TE Dawson Knox
Buffalo is the only franchise Knox has ever known since they picked him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Counting stats (or lack thereof) aside, he's a fan favorite for his unselishness and toughness. The 29-year-old has the makings of a Bills lifer, though meritocracy may take precedence with Brady at the helm.
Knox was the nominal starter for much of the 2025 campaign. Nevertheless, he was the sacrificial lamb of Buffalo's tight end room in more ways than one. 2023 first-round pick Dalton Kincaid dominated the receiving work, while rookie Jackson Hawes quickly established himself as one of the best blockers at the position.
Kincaid was one of, if not the, most efficient tight ends in football this season. He ranked first in yards per route run, second in yards per target and fourth in yards per reception (minimum 50 routes run). And that was while dealing with a list of injuries, including reportedly playing through a torn PCL the entire year.
Meanwhile, Hawes ranked fourth and tied for ninth, respectively, among tight ends in Pro Football Focus' run- and pass-protection grades (minimum 50 blocking snaps). For context, Knox didn't crack the top-35 in either department. The former also impressively didn't allow a single pressure or quarterback hit to the latter's three in each category.
The Bills can notably shed payroll by cutting or trading Knox with a post-June 1 designation. Doing so creates $12 million in 2026 cap savings while leaving behind roughly $5 million in dead money (h/t OverTheCap).
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