The Buffalo Bills have a bye going into Week 7 which couldn’t come at a better time considering tight end Dawson Knox, who’s having an absolute breakout season, underwent surgery on Tuesday for a broken hand suffered during Monday Night Football.
While most opponents focus on limiting wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, and Cole Beasley, Knox, 24, whom the Bills drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, has become one of quarterback Josh Allen’s top targets. Going into Week 6, the Ole Miss alum had caught 18 passes for 261 yards and five touchdowns.
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After head coach Sean McDermott confirmed Knox suffered a fracture in his hand, the Bills announced that he underwent successful surgery on Tuesday. While an exact timetable for his return was not given, Knox is expected to miss at least two weeks, which means the Bills need to find a replacement to fill in as soon as possible.
Getty/HeavyBuffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox expected to be out for 2-4 weeks.
ESPN‘s Bill Barnwell proposed a trade that could bring an immediate “short-term solution” during Knox’s absence. Barnwell suggests the Bills make a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring a familiar face back into the mix, tight end Jacob Hollister. In exchange, the Bills would give Jacksonville a 2022 seventh-round pick.
If his last name sounds familiar, his brother, Cody Hollister, is a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans.
Hollister Signed With the Bills in March Before Landing in Jacksonville This Season
Hollister, 27, is already familiar with the lay of the land in Buffalo, as he initially signed with the Bills in March. After failing to make the team’s 53-man roster, he signed with the Jaguars.
The tight end started out his career as a quarterback but transitioned to receiver when he signed with Wyoming. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2017 but landed on injured reserve before the 2018 playoffs and eventual Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams.
The Patriots then traded Hollister to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. During his two seasons in Seattle, Hollister caught 66 passes for 558 yards and six touchdowns, per Jacksonville Wire.
Barnwell suggests it makes for both the Bills and Hollister for him to return to Buffalo. “He caught on with the Jaguars, but his role in the lineup disappeared after Jacksonville traded for Dan Arnold,” Hollister wrote. “The former Seahawks tight end played just eight snaps in the win over the Dolphins in London.
Knox Helped Allen Pull Off a Philly Special With a Broken Hand Before Exiting the Game
Tired: Philly Special
Wired: Billy Special
During the Bills 34-31 loss to the Titans on Monday night, Knox was a crucial part of one of the most exciting Bills offensive plays before exiting the game with an injury.
Knox, who like Hollister, used to play quarterback in high school, utilized his throwing skills to toss a pass to Allen to score a two-point conversion, a play known as the Philly special. That score gave the Bills a 31-24 lead and was the last play the Bills were able to put points on the scoreboard.
Making Knox’s trick play even more impressive, the fact he threw the ball with a hand that was already broken. Allen tried to call off the play but Knox insisted he could get it done.
“That’s why we love him,” Allen said.
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Proposed Trade Sends Ex-Bills TE to Replace Injured Dawson Knox: ESPN