NFL free agency didn’t start with much of a bang for the Buffalo Bills, as the initial hour of legal tampering didn’t see general manager Brandon Beane make an addition. There’s still plenty of time as teams like the New York Jets throw their money around to get the festivities started.
Still, the Bills weren’t without an exit, and a particularly painful one at that. On Monday, it was announced that the New England Patriots have agreed to terms with fullback Reggie Gilliam, who had spent all six seasons of his NFL career in Buffalo.
Now Gilliam heads to Boston, where he’ll square up with Jim Leonhard’s defense at least twice per season.
Patriots steal away Reggie Gilliam in free agency, leaving Bills' rushing attack with a void at fullback
According to NFL Insider Mike Garafolo, the Patriots are signing Gilliam to a three-year deal worth up to $12 million. Gilliam is guaranteed to earn $6 million overall, $4.4 million of which will come his way in 2026. Of course, as with all agreements announced on Monday and the early portions of the week, the deal won’t be finalized until the new league year begins on Wednesday, March 11, at noon.
Gilliam was a fan-favorite in Buffalo as he led the way for James Cook and the Buffalo backfield over the past six seasons. Fans chanted Gilliam’s name late in the final game at Highmark Stadium, hoping for Joe Brady to call his number on the goalline for a scoring opportunity. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, leaving Gilliam without a score since 2022.
Gilliam now joins the Patriots as they look to rebound from their loss in Super Bowl LX. With Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson growing into a solid one-two punch in the backfield, the Patriots finished sixth in rushing last season. Having led the way for Cooks to lead the league in rushing and the Bills’ offense overall against the rest of the league in 2025, the Patriots are no doubt hoping that Gilliam can make a similar impact in their own ground game.
Gilliam paved the way for Cooks, allowing him to stand as one of the league leaders in yards before contact. He was also instrumental in the Bills’ version of the tush push, serving as the primary pusher for Josh Allen on those quarterback sneaks. While Allen is big and strong enough to make good on most of those attempts himself, Bills Mafia gave Gilliam his due credit for each and every rep.
Of course, as the Bills move forward without Gilliam, the fullback position isn’t as prominent as it once was, even if heavy 12 and 13-personnel packages are beginning to resurge across the NFL. Still, Gilliam is one of the bigger names at the position in a year where several of the top fullbacks around the league are set to become free agents on Wednesday. If Buffalo wants to replace Gilliam with a proven commodity on the open market, the Ravens’ Patrick Ricard, the Dolphins’ Alec Ingold, and the Vikings’ C.J. Ham are all set to become free agents. Each is older than Gilliam.
As for the draft, Michigan’s Max Bredeson or Wisconsin’s Jackson Acker have the most experience lining up in the backfield in a traditional fullback role, rather than as a tight end/H-Back type player. Still, it likely won’t be necessary to spend a draft pick on a fullback.
Regardless, Buffalo will have to find a new fullback in some capacity to replace Gilliam on the field to ensure the potent rushing attack doesn’t lose a step in 2026.