30 most important Bills players of 2026: No. 23 Dawson Knox

As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2026 NFL season, Bills Wire will take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. The team has some cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they'll have help from some new additions as well.

Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top-30 most important players on the roster. We'll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to what they'll offer in 2026, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.

Next on the countdown is Dawson Knox.

Position: Tight end

Age at start of season: 29

Experience: Eighth year

2026 cap hit: $8,551,333

Knox was a reliable offensive piece for the Bills in 2025. He appeared in all 17 games and caught 36 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. His 11.6 yards per reception was 10th-best among NFL TEs. Knox was graded as the 17th-best tight end in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He provided valuable snaps, especially when Dalton Kincaid was out.

Knox will continue to be a veteran, steady option for head coach Joe Brady and he'll have another year to build on a strong chemistry with quarterback Josh Allen. He'll once again be the TE2 on the depth chart sandwiched between Kincaid and Jackson Hawes, in what is one of the better tight-end rooms in the league.

Things are expected to mostly stay the same for the offense and Knox in 2026, with Joe Brady being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach and the tight end room staying the same. Over the last couple years, the Bills, along with other teams in the NFL, have leaned into going heavier in terms of personnel, including having two or three tight ends on the field at once. It will be interesting to see how often the Bills will play heavier this coming year.

Check back as we continue the countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2026 season.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 30 most important Bills players of 2026: No. 23 Dawson Knox