The Buffalo Bills are getting at least two more years with Dalton Kincaid.
During the NFL annual meetings Monday, Bills general manager Brandon Beane announced the team had exercised its fifth-year option on the 2023 first-round pick. All draft picks sign four-year contracts, but first-round picks come with a team option to retain a player for a fifth year at a set rate. Kincaid is set to make $8.1 million in 2027 if an extension hasn’t been agreed upon.
The move falls in line with what Beane said on the day of head coach Joe Brady’s introductory press conference. At the time, Beane didn’t see a reason the Bills wouldn’t exercise the extra year on Kincaid’s deal.
The tight end emerged as a key piece of Buffalo’s offense, with 156 receptions for 1,1692 yards and nine touchdowns over 41 career games. Kincaid was limited to 12 games last season due to hamstring and oblique injuries, and a nagging torn PCL that dated back to 2024.
But when Kincaid was on the field, the passing game was drastically different. With Kincaid on the field for 173 attempts, quarterback Josh Allen threw for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, compared to 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 287 attempts without him.
Kincaid had more yards (571) and touchdowns (5) in fewer games than 2024, but his PCL injury continued to nag him and he’s missed nine games over the last two seasons. And when Kincaid was on the field, he played a career-low 38% of the offensive snaps as the team tried to manage his wear and tear.
Initially slated to get surgery following the season, Kincaid once again opted not to for the second consecutive season. Most PCL tears do not require surgery, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Dalton got multiple second, third opinions on that,” Beane said. “We were unsure, as we were managing that as the season went on, whether he would need surgery or not. But multiple docs that our physicians believe in gave him the word that they didn’t think surgery was the best answer for him. It was more rehab, recovery and a plan.”
Beane also said that despite trading a second-round pick for D.J. Moore this month, the Bills haven’t ruled out taking a wide receiver with the 26th pick in the first round of the draft. Beane also acknowledged having conversations with Brandin Cooks about a potential return.
Cooks only had five receptions for 114 yards in five games after being released by the New Orleans Saints after 10 games. But the 32-year-old was open frequently and was also praised for his professionalism.
Buffalo also still has Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer and Khalil Shakir under contract. Tyrell Shavers is also still on the team, but will likely miss a chunk of the regular season after tearing his ACL in the AFC wild-card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Additionally, the Bills signed Mecole Hardman Jr. to a reserve/future contract and brought special teams ace Trent Sherfield Sr. back on a one-year deal last week.
“If there’s a dynamic player who can help us — starter or not — at receiver, we would take him at 26,” Beane said.