The Bills signed Zylstra to a one-year contract Tuesday. Zylstra is headed to Buffalo after spending his entire four-year career with the Lions. The 29-year-old caught three passes for 20 yards across six games last season and will likely compete for a depth spot on the Bills' roster.
Zylstra caught three of five targets for 20 yards over six games during the regular season. Zylstra opened the season as the Lions' No. 3 option at tight end behind Sam LaPorta (back) and Brock Wright (neck), but due to injuries, he became relevant in the final few weeks. The tight end missed nearly three months of action himself from early September to Dec. 14 due to injury, but even when healthy, he went without a target in five of six games this season. Zylstra will now enter the offseason as a free agent, and he'll likely have a limited market for his talents in 2026.
Zylstra did not garner a target in Thursday's 23-10 loss to Minnesota. Zylstra went without a target for the second time in three games since returning from injured reserve. The tight end maintained a slight lead in offensive workload over Anthony Firkser, logging 42 offensive snaps to Firkser's 35, though the latter did garner a target. Zylstra will look to finish off the regular season on a higher note when Detroit heads to Chicago on Jan. 4.