Bills’ Josh Allen could lose one of his most trusted weapons in 2026
Not the news Josh Allen was expecting to hear.
The Buffalo Bills have one of the most crucial offseasons in recent memory. Once again, the team fell short of the ultimate goal of bringing home the first-ever Lombardi Trophy to Western New York. With that, there were always going to be some changes.
First and foremost, the team fired Sean McDermott and now begins a search for their new head coach. What’s more, offensive coordinator Joe Brady is interviewing for other positions, and defensive coordinator Bobby Babbich was a McDermott hire, so the team will most likely be looking to replace not only their head coach, but also both coordinators and a slew of other front office positions whenever the new head coach is announced.
There are several free agents that Buffalo has to work with as well, but it’s not just free agents that the team is going to have to monitor. Buffalo finds itself in a difficult cap situation, sitting near the bottom third of the league with negative $17 million in cap space according to Over The Cap.
Dawson Knox may not be with the Buffalo Bills in 2026
One of the players eating up a chunk of the cap space is tight end Dawson Knox. In 2026, he’s expected to take on a cap hit of a little over $17 million, and it could be something that Buffalo isn’t willing to cough up the cash for. If the Bills were to cut him before June 1, the Bills would eat $7.4 million in dead money while saving $9.6 million in cap savings.
Knox opened up on potentially not being in Buffalo during the “Monday Mornings with Mitch” podcast. A surprising turn of events for one of quarterback Josh Allen’s most reliable weapons.
“I know they want to bring me back,” Knox said. “However, they can’t even know right now what the cap’s going to be.”
He then went on and cast even more doubt about his future in Buffalo with some more comments made during the podcast. It looks like Knox may not be back with the Buffalo Bills in 2026.
“Wherever I end up, I hope my tight ends coach is there with me,” Knox said.
Knox’s 2025 campaign left much to be desired from a cap perspective
Knox finished his 2025 campaign with 36 catches for 417 yards and four touchdowns. If that production repeated itself, it’s not anywhere near the $17 million he’s on the hook for next season. Knox’s cap hit in 2025 was $8.75 million, which accounted for 5.2% of the total team’s cap space.
The NFL is expected to announce the updated cap numbers before the new league year begins, in early March. For now, all we can do is wait and see how things shake up at One Bills Drive.
For a franchise staring down a semi-reset, tough decisions are unavoidable. Sentiment can’t outweigh the numbers, and production has to justify the price tag. Knox has been a respected presence in Buffalo and a trusted target for Josh Allen, but with the Bills squeezed against the cap and a new coaching staff incoming, nothing feels guaranteed.
Whether Knox remains part of the next era in Buffalo or becomes a casualty of the cap crunch may end up being one of the first real signs of how aggressive this offseason overhaul is going to be.
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