The Buffalo Bills decided to pick up the 5th-year option on tight end Dalton Kincaid’s rookie contract this past offseason. They decided to do it even though he had been dealing with a knee injury since 2024 and missing some games the last two seasons. While it wasn't a major surprise, no one should have been shocked if they didn't.
At the same time, if the Bills had not picked it up, that meant that Kincaid was entering a contract year going into this season. However, the Bills now have him through the 2027 season and as of right now, he is playing lights out for the Bills offense.
Through the first two games of the season, Kincaid has shined against both the Texans and Lions. He's led the Bills in receiving yards in both games, and he managed to find the endzone against the Lions. He racked up 130 yards against Houston, and he was 5 yards short of 100 yards against Detroit.
A healthy Dalton Kincaid is a dangerous Dalton Kincaid
We’ve been saying it, and now it’s starting to trend in that direction…if Kincaid can stay healthy throughout this season, he will be well on his way to becoming an All-Pro tight end and one of the best in the game.
He’s always had the talent to be one of the best, it’s just been the lack of durability that has been in the way. Now to start this season, there isn’t another tight end who has been playing on the same level as him.
While it's great to see Kincaid get off to a fast start for the Bills, if he continues to play at an elite level, this could very well put the Bills in a situation where they will have to decide on not just if they want to extend him, but how much he may be seeking.
Bills could be entering tough contract situation if Dalton Kincaid continues elite play
Now obviously, the Bills and the fans want to see Kincaid succeed and become an elite tight end that we all know he can be. At the same time, the better that Kincaid performs, the more pressure that the Bills will face when it comes to a potential contract extension.
Per Spotrac, George Kittle is the highest paid tight end in the league at $19.1 million per year and Trey McBride is right behind him at $19 million. Starting the Top 10 as the No. 10 highest paid tight end in the league is Jake Ferguson from the Dallas Cowboys and Cole Kmet from the Chicago Bears ($12.5 million per year).
Spotrac currently has Kincaid's market value sitting at $16.3 million per year, which would currently put him just outside the Top 5 in terms of money per year at the position. The only ones that would be ahead of him right now would be T.J. Hockenson, Kyle Pitts, Tucket Kraft, Trey McBride, and George Kittle.
Is Kincaid on his way to getting that kind of money? Absolutely, but that number could easily increase if Kincaid reached an All-Pro level, which will put the Bills in a situation where they will need to decide if they want to invest him and lost potential other pieces on the team.
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