Dawson Knox Appreciation

[BillsFanForever19]

49 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Second favorite player on the team! Hope cool heads prevail and he takes a slight pay cut with 100% guaranteed money so he can stay on the team the next few years.

 

A "slight" paycut isn't remotely enough. Coming off the last two years, he'd have to have a MONSTER season to warrant even close to half.

 

On his current trajectory of what he's done the past two seasons, entering Year 8 next season, and turning 30 - he'd be really lucky to get even a third of what he's scheduled to make on the open market.

 

It's essentially Tre White from last year territory. The guy is loved. But the business side of things just makes his current contract basically impossible not to move on from.

 

Especially in the Cap situation we're in with the amount of guys that will need to be replaced. Only 8.3m under with 18 of our 53 man Roster being Free Agents - including multiple starters.

Edited September 2 by BillsFanForever19

[ganesh]

42 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

A "slight" paycut isn't remotely enough. Coming off the last two years, he'd have to have a MONSTER season to warrant even close to half.

 

On his current trajectory of what he's done the past two seasons, entering Year 8 next season, and turning 30 - he'd be really lucky to get even a third of what he's scheduled to make on the open market.

 

It's essentially Tre White from last year territory. The guy is loved. But the business side of things just makes his current contract basically impossible not to move on from.

 

Especially in the Cap situation we're in with the amount of guys that will need to be replaced. Only 8.3m under with 18 of our 53 man Roster being Free Agents - including multiple starters.

I feel he will re-negotiate his contract and take a massive pay cut to stay back in Buffalo (more like a $5M per year deal)

13 hours ago, Nephilim17 said:

Perhaps @ganesh is being modest but I feel a PDF is not necessary (some won't download it) and we can post the full PDF contents here (it's not overly long). Thanks for the write up and supporting a real team player. 

Written by Ganesh (not me):
 

Dawson Knox: Buffalo’s Tight End of Grit and Glory

 

From Walk-On to Bills Mainstay

Dawson Knox’s story has never been about the easy path. A quarterback in high school who battled injuries, he walked on at Ole Miss with little fanfare and few catches to his name. Scouts saw raw athleticism more than polish. But what stood out was his drive—the quiet, relentless work ethic that transformed him from a forgotten prospect into an NFL draft pick.

 

When the Buffalo Bills selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft, it wasn’t just about measurables. It was about potential. About a player who embodied resilience, toughness, and the kind of determination that fit the DNA of Buffalo itself.

 

Plays That Feel Like Buffalo

Knox’s game isn’t glamorous. It’s gritty. He’s as proud of a key block as he is of a touchdown. He’ll fight through defenders for three extra yards that won’t make the highlight reel but might win a drive.

 

One play that encapsulates him came in January 2022, during the Bills’ wild-card playoff against the Patriots. On Buffalo’s opening drive, Josh Allen rolled right and fired a pass Knox’s way. The ball seemed destined to sail out of reach—until Knox twisted his body mid-air, extended to the limit, and somehow reeled it in for the touchdown.

 

It was Buffalo’s first score in a game that would become one of the franchise’s most dominant playoff performances. And it was pure Dawson Knox: impossible catch, relentless focus, refusing to give up on a play that looked dead. By the night’s end, Knox had found the end zone twice—and came within a single yard of a third touchdown. It wasn’t just production, it was persistence, the kind of never-say-die performance that set the tone for the entire team.

 

“I trust Dawson. When the game’s on the line, I know he’s going to fight for that ball.” – Josh Allen

 

In 2021, Knox broke Buffalo’s single-season touchdown record for tight ends. But even in that career year, his identity wasn’t the scoreboard—it was the sacrifice. The willingness to take a hit over the middle. The unselfish joy in celebrating a teammate’s score. Every play feels like Buffalo itself: hard, cold, unrelenting, built on pride—and defined by a\ never-say-never belief that no moment is too big.

 

A Bill for Life

Knox’s connection with the city runs deeper than stats. He’s embraced its winters, its work ethic, and its identity as an underdog that refuses to quit. Head coach Sean McDermott puts it plainly: “Dawson is the guy who’ll do whatever it takes—block, catch, fight through pain. That’s Buffalo football.” – Sean McDermott

 

That’s why many in Buffalo believe Dawson Knox is more than just a player. He’s a symbol. The kind of athlete who doesn’t just wear the jersey but lives what it represents.

 

The Legacy in Motion

For Knox, football is more than a game. It’s family, faith, and city all bound together in blue and red. His plays remind fans of Buffalo’s own story—fighting for every inch, never backing down, finding pride in perseverance. Dawson Knox isn’t just a tight end. He’s Buffalo’s tight end. And if the city has its way, he’ll be a Bill for life.

thank you for sharing this easier to read.  I will copy it back to the original post

[ganesh]

Knox also is 2nd on the all-time Bills list for receiving TDs in the playoffs.  He has 6 and is behind only to the 9 by Andre Reed.    Knox has been very valuable contributor in the playoffs.

[BillsFanForever19]

1 hour ago, ganesh said:

I feel he will re-negotiate his contract and take a massive pay cut to stay back in Buffalo (more like a $5M per year deal)

 

Moving on from him before June 1st saves us around 10m on the Cap. Post June 1st, it saves 12m. If he stays healthy, produces at a rate better than the last 2 seasons, doesn't show decline, and there's a way to keep him while also saving around that same number on the Cap - that's fine. 

 

But as I said, this feels almost a direct repeat of the Tre situation last season, down to the money we'd save. Knox costs a whopping 17.1m on the Cap. We just can't have anything *close* to that. Especially with him turning 30 and averaging only 250 yards and 1.5 TD's over the past two seasons.

 

There's obviously love for Knox in the building. But like Tre, that only goes so far when it comes to business. And getting out from that number is a no brainer business decision. I don't know if there's a feasible way to get him that low and keep him. But that's the only way it makes any sense to me.

Edited September 2 by BillsFanForever19

[BillsFan130]

7 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

The exception proves the rule. For every Benford, there is 10 guys that never got a shot because the guy picked earlier ate up all the reps. 

 

Knox was picked in the early 3rd, and was given a 2nd big contract. That's a lot invested in him. It's not like he's a UDFA on the vet minimum.

 

In January playoff games, Sean McDermott and Joe Brady are trying to win football games. They aren't trying to "justify" Brandon Beanes draft picks 

Edited September 2 by BillsFan130

[nuklz2594]

If knox was a good receiver we wouldn't have drafted kincaid

[nuklz2594]

Knox seems to be that he'd be a mentor for Jackson Hawes. Any chance Hawes could be a younger version of Knox?

[JP51]

He blocks, comes up with a clutch catch, stays in his lane, but from what I see I appreciate him for being a great teammate and leader. 

[ganesh]

32 minutes ago, JP51 said:

He blocks, comes up with a clutch catch, stays in his lane, but from what I see I appreciate him for being a great teammate and leader. 

Everything I wrote in my article 

[JP51]

11 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Everything I wrote in my article 

and I 100% agree