Jackson Hawes: Everything you need to know

Hawes was not targeted during Buffalo's 33-30 divisional-round overtime loss to Denver on Saturday. Hawes went untargeted in the Bills' playoff loss while fellow tight ends Dalton Kincaid (6-83-1) and Dawson Knox (3-32-0) both had multiple grabs. A rookie fifth-round pick, Hawes proved to be an impactful blocker, and while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, he also managed a respectable 16-187-3 line (19 targets) despite operating as the clear No. 3 option at the position behind Kincaid and Knox. Kincaid is locked in as Buffalo's top pass-catching TE for 2026 and beyond, but Knox carries an exorbitant cap hit next season and will be a candidate to either restructure his deal this offseason or be cut, potentially paving the way for Hawes to handle increased opportunities.

Hawes wasn't targeted during Sunday's 27-24 wild-card game win over the Jaguars. Hawes played 35 percent of offensive snaps compared to 48 percent for Dawson Knox and 44 percent for Dalton Kincaid. Despite the similar playing time, Hawes was far less involved in the passing game, as each of Buffalo's other two tight ends notched three catches. Hawes will continue to fill a role as a highly effective blocker in the AFC divisional round against the Broncos.

Hawes caught his only target for no gain during Sunday's 35-8 win versus the Jets. As usual, Hawes was used only sparingly in the passing game in Week 18, trailing in targets at tight end behind both Keleki Latu (3) and Dawson Knox (2). Hawes's 22 snaps at tight end were second on the team to Latu's 48, but that was likely due to Buffalo's decision to rest some of its more valuable players. In the wild-card round at Jacksonville and potentially beyond, the Bills will probably continue to lean on Hawes as part of a committee at tight end along with Knox and 2023 first-rounder Dalton Kincaid, with Hawes deployed primarily in-line.