Bills Need to Extend Dalton Kincaid and Cole Bishop as Soon as Possible

After the 2027 season, two of the Bills’ core players, Dalton Kincaid and Cole Bishop, will become free agents. While Buffalo could wait for the deals to expire, it would be best to get new ones done as soon as possible.

In the past, President of Football Operations Brandon Beane has shown a willingness to extend his draft picks early. This makes it even more likely that Kincaid and Bishop would be next in line. The Bills still have 2023 second-round pick, O’Cyrus Torrence due for an extension soon. However, Beane’s attention should turn first to getting deals done with Bishop and Kincaid next offseason.

The Case for Bills Extending Cole Bishop

Bishop’s extension will have to be signed after next season, but it will still feel overdue by then.

After an NFL player plays three seasons on their rookie contract, then they’re eligible to sign an extension. For Bishop, this would line up with the conclusion of the 2026-2027 season. 

Some people might think it’s too early to commit to him, but Bishop proved to be a bright spot on a mediocre Bills defense last year. After Jordan Poyer took over the other starting safety spot, Bishop had the opportunity to break out. 

Down the stretch last year, the 23-year-old played the best football of his young career. When the team needed him the most during their playoff run, he made plays. One in particular that jumps out is his game-sealing interception against the Jaguars in the Wild Card round.

There were some bumps in the road for Bishop during the first year and a half of his career, but things are going in the right direction for him now.

His stellar play at the end of last season, combined with new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard joining the team, gives Bills fans plenty to be excited about.

If Beane and the Bills wait too long to extend Bishop, it will get too expensive for their cap space.

The Case for Bills Extending Dalton Kincaid

Kincaid has been the source of a lot of discussion during his first three seasons as a Buffalo Bill, but now the time has come to decide whether he should stick around.

Since he was a first-round draft pick, unlike Bishop, Kincaid will play on the fifth-year option in 2027, then be due to hit free agency. If the Bills are serious about extending their competitive window, Kincaid should never hit the open market.

His availability has been a concern, but the truth is that he’s vital to the team’s success. Including the playoffs, the team was 11-3 with him in the lineup last year. 

A team’s record with or without a player isn’t always the greatest indicator of their impact, but in this case, it helps paint the picture with Kincaid.

An important thing to note about Kincaid is that he led the Bills in 100-yard games (2) and receiving touchdowns despite missing five regular-season games. The tight end also finished second in catches and receiving yards, only behind Khalil Shakir.

Kincaid put up these numbers while only playing 37.6 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. His snap percentage is a mix of wanting to keep him healthy and having two better blockers at the position, but those numbers do create a potential argument for Buffalo to hold off on extending him.

When Kincaid is in the game, it opens things up for every other player around him, which can’t go unnoticed. The Bills will likely wait until the end of this upcoming season to talk about an extension with him too, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t get done now.

Why Now?

At the moment, it seems likely that the team will wait until next offseason to sign both players to extensions, but it should at least be in the back of their minds right now.

Being able to lock up two integral pieces to the team’s long-term success, while also giving themselves the financial flexibility to restructure the deals, plays a large part in when they get done.

The Bills have the money to get Kincaid done now, and Bishop as well when he becomes extension-eligible next offseason. They can’t risk something this important because their asking prices will only increase in the future.

The sooner the Bills can extend the two of them, the more money the team will save. This in turn will keep the window open to bring in more talent and keep the team competitive. That’s why Buffalo should do it now.