The Buffalo Bills finished 12-5, good enough for 2nd place in the AFC East and a 7th seed in the postseason.
Buffalo enters 2026 with around $4M of initial cap space, against an estimated $304M league threshold. This includes a $56.4M figure for QB Josh Allen, and 6 contracts set to void in the coming weeks (which accounts for $32M).
The Bills currently hold 7 draft picks, including two seventh rounders. Buffalo sent their 6th round pick to the NY Jets in a trade for Brandon Codrington 2 years ago. FUTURE BILLS DRAFT PICKS
Early Offseason Questions
- With 2 key pieces of the OL set to hit free agency (C Connor McGovern, G David Edwards), will Buffalo pony up the high price tag to keep continuity, or will the Bills look elsewhere?
- Josh Allen’s weapon set has been in focus for years. Will the Bills seek a true WR1 in 2026 in some way, shape, or form?
- Has Dalton Kincaid shown enough to warrant a 5th-year option or extension?
Notable Free Agents
(Spotrac’s Valuation APY)
G David Edwards ($20M)
C Connor McGovern ($16M)
ED Joey Bosa ($13.7M)
ED A.J. Epenesa ($9.2M)
DL Larry Ogunjobi ($5M)
LB Matt Milano ($4.5M)
LB Shaq Thompson ($2.75M)
VIEW ALL FREE AGENTS
Option Decision
TE Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid caught 91 passes across 700 snaps in his 2023 rookie campaign, but he’s played nearly that amount across 2024-2025 combined since. When he’s active, he’s a key focus for Josh Allen’s offense, but his unreliability could factor into future Buffalo decisions. Kincaid’s 5th year option for 2027 currently projects to cost around $8.8M, a figure the Bills should have no problem locking in. But the 26-year-old may need another full year of health before a multi-year extension is considered.
Extension Candidate
OT Dion Dawkins
The 32-year-old has been a model of consistency for Buffalo since 2017, currently holding 2 years, $36.5M remaining on his deal. But with minimal guarantees remaining, and cap hits of around $25M each of 2026/2027, there’s a realistic path to tack on a multi-year extension to benefit both sides. Dawkins currently projects toward a 3 year, $63M deal. (See Also: Bubble Candidates)
TE Dawson Knox
Knox is entering a contract year in 2026, set to earn an unprotected $12M against a $17M cap hit. The 29-year-old currently carries a $7M valuation in our system, so a bit of a renegotiation that adds years, guarantees, and lowers the cap structure in Buffalo’s favor probably works well for both sides here. (See Also: Bubble Candidates)
DL Ed Oliver
Oliver missed a big chunk of 2025 due to bicep and knee injuries, breaking a 5-year run of incredible reliability. The 28-year-old was also having his best start to a season before injury, setting up Buffalo to strongly consider a tack-on extension this offseason. Oliver holds an unprotected $31.5M over the next 2 seasons, currently projected toward a 2 year, $45M extension in our system.
Bubble Candidates
WR Curtis Samuel
Release Candidate
Samuel was active for just 20 games across the past two seasons for Buffalo, earning $16M over that span. He holds an unprotected $8M salary for 2026, with $6.2M of cap to be freed up with an early March release.
K Tyler Bass
Release Candidate
A hip injury forced Bass to miss all of 2025, putting the 2 years, $8.25M remaining on his contract on notice. An early March release frees up almost $3M of cap space.
S Taylor Rapp
Release Candidate
A knee injury forced Rapp to miss half of 2025, setting up the possibility for Buffalo to move on this March. A release before March 15th (when a $250,000 roster bonus is due), can open up $3.3M of cap space.
TE Dawson Knox
Release Candidate
Knox has been one of the most popular members of both the Bills and the Buffalo community since they selected him back in 2019. The 29-year-old is entering a contract year in 2026, set to earn $12M against a $17M cap hit. With Jackson Hawes now poised for a bigger role going forward, it’s fair to question if Knox has become expendable, and there’s $9.6M of much needed cap to be freed up with an early March release.
WR Keon Coleman
Trade Candidate
Coleman has yet to find his footing in this Buffalo offense (for one reason or another) since being selected #33 overall back in 2024. The 22-year-old holds a fully guaranteed $3.8M over the next two seasons, so there’s plenty of room for value here. But a change of scenery may serve both sides well going forward.
OT Dion Dawkins
Trade Candidate
There’s a version of the Bills where the 2026 offseason becomes one for major culture change (potentially from the top down). With Dawkins carrying one of the larger, unprotected deals on the books, there’s room to consider Buffalo shopping their longtime left tackle in lieu of an extension in the coming months. An early offseason trade would only free up around $3M of cap space, but a move like this would be more about assets in return than immediate financial gain.
Potential Cap Conversions
QB Josh Allen’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. A simple conversion to signing bonus frees up over $12M.
RT Spencer Brown’s 2026 compensation is already fully guaranteed. Converting most of it to signing bonus can open up almost $11M of cap.
Converting S Taron Johnson’s 2026 salary into signing bonus can free up almost $6M of cap.
If an extension is passed over for DT Ed Oliver, Buffalo can open up over $10.7M of cap space by converting salary to signing bonus (plus void years).
If an extension/trade is passed over for OT Dion Dawkins, Buffalo can open up over $12M of cap space by converting salary/roster bonus to signing bonus (plus void years).
RELATED LINKS
2026 Bills Salary Cap Table
Bills 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac’s Offseason Guide
