Dawson Knox signs contract extension with Buffalo Bills
Updated March 10, 2026, 11:56 am ET
The long-awaited determination on Dawson Knox was made Tuesday morning by the Buffalo Bills, and as anticipated the eighth-year tight finish is staying with the staff on a three-year extension.
There was by no means a doubt that Knox was coming again to Buffalo, so long as the Bills may decrease his exorbitant $17 million wage cap hit, a quantity that was untenable for the cap-strapped Bills.
Knox is likely one of the most vital gamers within the Buffalo locker room, not solely as a result of he brings worth to his place as each a receiver and run blocker, however as a veteran chief. Oh, and maybe each bit as vital, he’s considered one of quarterback Josh Allen’s finest pals.
The numbers should not but out there, however it’s anticipated that Knox will probably be taking a pay lower. However, it’s possible that incentives will probably be included within the deal that may allow Knox to regain a few of his misplaced wage.
Back in late January, Knox appeared on former Bills’ heart Mitch Morse’s podcast, Monday Mornings With Mitch, and he acknowledged that his contract was going to have to be addressed if he was to remain in Buffalo.
“I know they want to bring me back, however they can’t know right now what the cap is going to be, how much money they’ll have to spend, what the market will be for tight ends,” Knox stated. “Whether they’re going to need to hold me below my present contact for yet another yr, or attempt to work out some kind of extension.
“But I was able to tell (Brandon Beane) I love it here, this is home to me now, I met my wife here, without them drafting me I don’t have a wife and baby girl. So I feel at home here and truly don’t want to be anywhere else, but at the same time, I know the reality of this is that it’s a business and it’s going to come down to numbers, what’s realistic for them, what’s realistic for us.”
Knox was the Bills’ major tight finish nearly from the time he was picked within the third spherical of the 2019 draft. Through his first 4 seasons he caught 149 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns within the common season, and added 26 catches for 262 yards and 5 TDs in eight playoff video games.
Just after the Bills gave him a hefty four-year, $52 million contract extension in 2022 which appeared too excessive on the time, they made the curious determination to pick tight finish Dalton Kincaid within the first spherical of the 2023 draft.
The rationale was that the Bills would use extra two-tight finish alignments, with Knox working because the one connected to the road participant and Kincaid within the slot, however given what that they had simply shelled out to Knox – a deal that included $19.2 million assured – it did not make lots of sense.
Suddenly, they have been paying Knox like a No. 1 tight finish, however after enjoying 87% of the snaps in 2021 and 80% in 2022, his snap shares have been 60%, 61% and 58%, and that was even with Kincaid lacking a number of video games with accidents the final two years.
In the final three years, Knox’s manufacturing dipped to 80 catches for 914 yards and 7 TDs, and 12 receptions for 120 yards and a TD in seven playoff video games.
Still, Knox has made a house in Buffalo and it was recognized that he actually did not need to depart the Bills over a contract scenario. His spouse, Alex, is a Buffalo native, their first little one, a daughter, was born right here, and he’s a longtime member of the group, energetic in a number of endeavors.
Sal Maiorana has coated the Buffalo Bills for greater than 4 many years together with 36 years because the full-time beat author/columnist for the D&C. He has written quite a few books concerning the historical past of the staff, and he’s additionally co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube present. He will be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you may comply with him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
