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Dawson Knox of the Buffalo Bills makes a reception during an NFL game. The veteran tight end faces a pivotal 2026 decision as his $17.9 million cap hit forces Buffalo to evaluate its roster plans around Josh Allen.
The Buffalo Bills are approaching a critical deadline on tight end Dawson Knox, whose $17.86 million cap hit for 2026 has forced the front office into a high-stakes decision. With Buffalo still working to get under the NFL’s projected $303.5 million salary cap, general manager Brandon Beane admitted the team has only “a couple weeks” to determine whether Knox’s contract is reworked — or if releasing the seven-year veteran becomes unavoidable, according to a report by Bills correspondent Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com.
“Knox has a $1.5 million roster bonus due March 15, so that is the likely deadline for the Bills to come up with a solution to keep Knox before the deal becomes more difficult to get out of,” according to reporting by Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic on Wednesday.
Knox carries the fourth-largest cap figure on the roster at $17.86 million, according to Spotrac. Knox, the Bills’ 2019 third-round draft pick, ranks behind only quarterback Josh Allen, offensive left tackle Dion Dawkins and defensive lineman Ed Oliver.
Knox has ranked among Allen’s favorite and most consistent receivers, with 348 targets in the 102 games he has played for the Bills.
Beane: Knox Carries ‘Tough’ Cap Hit
The Bills would clear slightly less than $10 million by cutting ties with Knox and taking his $7.4 million dead cap hit. Beane confirmed the decision process over Knox includes discussions about a potential pay cut but acknowledged the number is “tough” — and that the clock is ticking on a resolution.
Beane acknowledged that he has already discussed the issues with Knox and how they affect the 29-year-old’s future with the team.
“He has a tough [cap hit] as we go into the season, so we’ve got to figure that out,” Beane said, speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, as quoted by SI.com. “I think it just starts with trust, communication and honest conversation. And so we’ve had some dialogue.”
Complicating matters is the fact that since the Bills drafted tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round in 2023, Knox has seen a diminished role. The former Ole Miss standout set, and still holds, a franchise record for touchdown catches by a tight end in 2021, with nine.
Since Kincaid joined the team three seasons ago, Knox has recorded seven touchdown receptions.
Knox’s Value Extends Beyond His Numbers
Beane also said at the combine that he must weigh Knox’s value to the team in several categories, according to Parrino’s report.
“When you’re talking about a guy like Dawson and what he brings, it’s also the value in the locker room, off the field. So sometimes people will cut your roster down or make decisions for you based on just the skill set or what they see on the field,” Beane said. “Those are things that matter to me a lot, and that I weigh, too, when I’m making these decisions.”
Knox will be playing on an expiring contract in 2026 after inking a three-year, $29.5 million extension before the 2024 season.
As they have been almost since the start of the Josh Allen era, the Super Bowl-starved Bills will be in “win-now” mode as they enter the 2026 campaign — pressure heightened by the fact that, for the first time since 2019, Buffalo finished in second place in the AFC East as the resurgent New England Patriots won 14 games and the division, advancing to the Super Bowl after a six-year absence.
The Bills have not played in a Super Bowl since the 1993 season and have never won one.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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