The Buffalo Bills may have to make this painful decision.
The Buffalo Bills could not get over the hump once again this season, further exemplifying their need for reinforcements.
The problem is that the Bills' financial situation makes that exceedingly difficult.
Buffalo is currently $7.4 million over the salary cap heading into the offseason, meaning that it will clearly need to make some significant moves in order to clear some money.
Restructuring contracts is always the least painful approach, and it seems like almost a given that the Bills will do that with quarterback Josh Allen.
But in order for Buffalo to really create some flexibility, it will also have to cut some players, and that could include tight end Dawson Knox.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic has named Knox a prime cut candidate going into the offseason, a decision that will surely prove tough for the Bills from a sentimental perspective.
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images."The team has already committed to giving [Dalton] Kincaid his fifth-year option for 2027, and [Jackson] Hawes is signed through the 2028 season," Buscaglia wrote. "Knox isn’t as good a receiver as Kincaid, and isn’t as good a blocker as Hawes, but has a better blend of the two than both. Knox is also one of Allen’s best friends on the team, so there’s that element to it. However, there is no getting around a net savings of almost $9 million."
Knox caught 36 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns this past year and has been a member of the Bills ever since being drafted by the team in 2019.
The 29-year-old made the Pro Bowl in 2022 after hauling in 48 receptions for 517 yards and six scores, and while his role has largely been reduced thanks to the presence of Kincaid, Knox has remained a stable weapon for Allen over the years.
However, with Buffalo badly needing improvement elsewhere on the roster (like at wide receiver, for example) and with Knox certainly not being indispensable, it makes sense for the Bills to cut ties with him and save that $9 million.
It's no like Buffalo is hurting at tight end. Kincaid made the Pro Bowl this year, and Hawes — a 2025 fifth-round pick — displayed some clear potential during his rookie campaign.
It would definitely hurt for Allen and Bills fans to see Knox go, but releasing him would be best for the team as a whole. He might even be able to find a greater opportunity in a different uniform.