The Buffalo Bills are about to kick off the Joe Brady era, and the big picture around the team hasn’t changed much. A new coaching setup, some roster turnover and a new Highmark Stadium are all part of the backdrop, but the expectation in Buffalo is still the same: win big.
That’s the reality for players, too. In the NFL, the calendar moves fast, and contracts can turn a strong season into a final audition. With the Bills set to open against the Houston Texans in Houston one week from today, three players are heading into the year on expiring deals and could be wearing a different uniform after 2026.
One of them is linebacker Dorian Williams. He’s one of the few inside linebackers Buffalo has going into the season, and he’s earned a reputation as a reliable run defender.
Injuries at the position have given him chances before, and he made the most of one last year, finishing with 117 total tackles and 3 fumble recoveries when Matt Milano missed most of the season. But the Bills also have a promising rookie in Kaleb Elarms-Orr, which makes this season feel like a proving ground for Williams if he wants to stay in Buffalo beyond this year.
Running back Ty Johnson is in a different kind of squeeze. Buffalo’s ground game already runs through James Cook, with Ray Davis and Johnson supplying depth behind him.
Johnson brings toughness as a runner and value in pass protection, but the Bills’ long-term setup points elsewhere. Cook got a new deal last offseason, and Davis still has another year on his rookie contract after 2026.
That leaves Buffalo with room to draft another back next year, which could make letting Johnson walk in free agency the cleanest path.
Safety Damar Hamlin is also in that spot. For the second straight offseason, the Bills kept him on a one-year contract, and he fought his way onto the regular-season roster again.
He didn’t see much action last season because of an injury, but he turned enough heads in camp to beat out Geno Stone for a spot. Even so, Buffalo has Cole Bishop under contract after this season, and Jalon Kilgore is in the mix as a developmental piece with upside.
If the Bills settle on Bishop and Kilgore, or even Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the safer move could be adding another safety in the draft instead of bringing Hamlin back on another short-term deal.
In Other News...
Sean McDermott Just Added Fuel To Buffalos 2026 Hype
Sean McDermotts name still carries weight around Orchard Park, and his latest comments only added to the sense that Buffalos runway is getting longer, not shorter. After the Bills spent the offseason making moves to strengthen the roster, including the trade for DJ Moore, McDermott said he believes the team has the kind of makeup to remain in the Super Bowl conversation, even going as far as to forecast a Bills-Rams matchup in Super Bowl LXI.
McDermott also made clear he is not done chasing the sideline spotlight himself. He said he wants another shot to return as an NFL head coach and still has his eyes on winning a world championship with a future organization, a reminder that his bond with Buffalos rise is still part of a bigger coaching story. For Bills fans, the praise is welcome, but the more intriguing part may be whether this kind of confidence turns into something even more tangible over the next few seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Bills New Defense Could Push Greg Gaines Into A Bigger Role
The Bills shift under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is already reshaping the front seven, and Greg Gaines is one of the players positioned to benefit from it. Buffalo signed the veteran defensive lineman to a one-year deal, giving the team an experienced option as it moves toward an odd-man front and asks more of its interior defenders.
Gaines brings the kind of versatility that fits a defense still sorting out its personnel, with the ability to work as a rotational nose tackle and line up at multiple spots across a three-man front. With depth at nose tackle not especially deep, his path to a larger role looks realistic, even if the final pecking order in the middle is still very much up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Depth Could Suddenly Matter More Than Fans Expected
Buffalos secondary already has enough pressure on it without adding another name to the mix, but Asante Samuel Jr. has emerged as a possible depth option if the Bills decide they want more insurance for the stretch run. The veteran corner is on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, and even with recent injury issues, he still brings the kind of earlier-career production that can make him worth a closer look for a team trying to keep pace with the AFCs best.
The timing is what makes this interesting. Pittsburgh could consider moving Samuel around the trade deadline, and if that happens, the Bills would have to decide how aggressively they want to chase help at a spot that can swing a playoff game in a hurry. For a roster built with a Super Bowl run in mind, secondary depth is the sort of thing that usually only gets noticed when it is suddenly in short supply. [Read more 🡒]