Dalton Kincaid has a clear lane to become a bigger piece of the Buffalo Bills’ offense in 2026, even if not everyone is giving him that credit yet.
Josh Allen remains the engine in Buffalo, and there’s no arguing his place among the league’s elite. But the Bills have also built real momentum on the ground.
James Cook has become a major force over the last two seasons, leading the league in rushing touchdowns with 16 in 2024 and rushing yards with 1,621 in 2025. Joe Brady’s arrival as playcaller in 2023 helped unlock that balance, giving the offense more than just Allen’s arm.
That still leaves the passing game with room for another player to take over, and Kincaid is sitting right there as a strong candidate. Some would point first to DJ Moore, whom Buffalo traded for this offseason from the Chicago Bears.
That’s the obvious name. But Kincaid has been one of Allen’s trusted targets, and his ceiling may be even more important to what the Bills want to do.
Kincaid is heading into his fourth season, though a knee injury that has lingered since the middle of 2024 has slowed him down. When he has been available, though, he has flashed the kind of connection with Allen that makes people think of him as the “Travis Kelce” of Buffalo’s offense. That QB-TE pairing has shown enough to suggest there’s something real there.
Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick ranked Kincaid as the No. 6 tight end heading into the 2026 season, and they pointed to one eye-catching number: he “generated a 149.2 passer rating when targeted, the second-best mark among all tight ends.” Add in Joe Brady’s comments about Kincaid looking stronger this offseason, and the outlook gets even better.
Still, not everybody is buying in. Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone left Kincaid off a list of the AFC’s Top 5 tight ends entering the season. The five who did make it were Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders, Tyler Warren of the Indianapolis Colts, Harold Fannin Jr. of the Cleveland Browns, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Brenton Strange of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That omission stands out when you look at what Kincaid produced in limited action last season. In 12 games, he caught 39 of 49 targets, averaged 14.6 yards per catch, and scored a career-high five touchdowns. Those are the kind of numbers that make it hard to ignore him.
If Kincaid stays healthy, he has every chance to force his way into the conversation as one of the league’s top tight ends. Even with DJ Moore in the mix, he remains a major part of Brady’s offense. And with Brady now running the whole operation, Kincaid has a real opportunity to take a big leap in Year 4.
In Other News...
Bills Secondary Suddenly Has A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Concern
The Bills secondary had already been a point of interest this offseason with C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining the team on a one-year deal, bringing the kind of versatility and edge Buffalo hoped would sharpen the back end of its defense. But his recent exit from a game quickly shifted the conversation from fit and role to simple availability, as trainers and teammates surrounded him after he went down.
Gardner-Johnson was unable to continue and was carted off after an apparent issue with his right foot, leaving Buffalo with an uneasy wait on a player it had just added to help stabilize the secondary. For a defense that is still sorting out new pieces, the sight of a veteran defensive back going down like that is the sort of development the Bills can ill afford this early. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Camp Concern
The Bills got a scare at training camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during a practice drill and had to be helped off the field. It was the kind of moment that can stop a camp session in its tracks, especially when a veteran defensive back is involved, and Buffalo immediately shifted into the cautious mode teams usually reserve for injuries that could alter the shape of a roster conversation.
For now, the early signs are at least somewhat encouraging, with teammates and staff indicating Gardner-Johnson was able to walk afterward and is going through the usual medical steps. Still, the club is waiting for more clarity before saying much more, and the next update will matter for a defense that has been counting on him to settle in quickly during camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Just Got A Scare It Could Not Afford
Training camp already has a way of sorting out the hopeful from the fragile, and Buffalo got a reminder of that when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during 11-on-11 drills. He suffered a lower-body injury, was helped off the field, and the Bills quickly shifted from practice mode to waiting mode as he was taken in for further evaluation.
The immediate concern was hard to miss: Gardner-Johnson was favoring his right foot and not putting much weight on it before heading to the locker room. Buffalo is now waiting on medical testing to learn how serious the injury is, a situation the secondary can hardly welcome with the season work already underway. [Read more 🡒]