ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills signed tight end Dawson Knox to a four-year contract extension on Wednesday, locking up one of the team’s top scoring threats.
Knox was entering the final year of his contract and is now signed through 2026. The move was announced a day before the two-time defending AFC East champions open the NFL season at the Los Angeles Rams, and follows a year in which Knox established himself as one of Josh Allen’s top red-zone targets.
Knox finished second on the team with nine touchdown receptions to set the franchise’s single-season record for tight ends, while also tying for second in the NFL among players at his position.
The signing also comes three weeks after Knox mourned the loss of his younger brother, Luke Knox, a Florida International University player who died of unknown causes.
On Monday, Knox addressed the outpouring of support he and his family received from Bills fans, who donated more than $200,000 to Buffalo’s P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative in his brother’s name.
“It’s more than I could have expected, but at the same time, it’s weirdly not surprising just because this is such an incredible city with such an incredible fanbase and people,” he said. “It means the world to me. I love all the people in Buffalo. And hopefully I’ll be here for a long time.”
From Tennessee, the 25-year-old Knox was already anticipating the possibility of signing a long-term extension by purchasing a home in the Buffalo area this offseason.
Selected in the third round of the 2019 draft out of Mississippi, Knox is coming off a breakout season in posting career highs with 49 catches for 587 yards, while also becoming Buffalo’s first tight end to score in four consecutive games. He nearly doubled the production from his first two seasons in which he combined for 52 catches for 676 yards and five TDs.
At 6-foot-4 and 254 pounds, Knox’s emergence last year provided Buffalo’s pass-first offense a dependable and sizeable dimension particularly inside opponents’ 20, while taking advantage of opposing teams focusing their coverage on top receiver Stefon Diggs.
Locking up Knox ensures the Bills offense will have a semblance of continuity beyond this season, with Allen and Diggs already signed to long-term deals. With Buffalo already limited by salary-cap constraints next year, Knox’s signing could make it difficult for the team to re-sign No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis, who is entering the final year of his contract.
Knox is already looking ahead to building on his production this year.
“I’ve always just took the stance that I want to do whatever I can to help the team win games,” Knox said, noting he also needs to play a valuable role in blocking and pass-protection situations. “But I’d also love to continue contributing in the passing game as well, just because I know the weapon that I can be. And I kind of want to use last year as a foundation going forward.”
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL