Getty Isaiah McKenzie #6 of the Buffalo Bills rushes with the ball against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field on November 24, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills will face some tough financial decisions to make this offseason, and one insider believes it could lead them to cut ties with a veteran wide receiver who just turned in a career-best season.
The Bills are currently $16.5 million over the salary cap with free agency around the corner, noted Syracuse.com’s Matt Parrino. While the Bills can find some breathing room through contract restructures, the team will likely need to strategically release some players. Even though he won the starting slot receiver job last offseason and had the most productive year of his career, receiver Isaiah McKenzie could be a potential cap casualty, one insider predicts.
Isaiah McKenzie’s Road Could Be Coming to an End
As Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire noted, the Bills don’t have any obvious candidates to be cut in the name of saving cap space. The team has been strategic with its contracts in recent years, with little fat to trim. But Wojton did note that cutting McKenzie could save the Bills a total of $2.9 million against the salary cap.
While he didn’t mention McKenzie specifically — or any player, for that matter — Bills general manager Brandon Beane has already hinted that there could be some roster moves coming as the team works to get back under the salary cap.
“We’re going to have to get under the cap by moves, could be roster cuts,” Beane said last month, via Syracuse.com. “We’re going to have to work to get under the cap so that we can operate next year.”
Wojton noted that there could be a few other candidates for the Bills to cut, including defensive tackle Tim Settle and cornerback Taron Johnson. David De Cristofaro of USA Today’s Bills Wire also suggested the Bills could restructure quarterback Josh Allen’s contract.
“It would be up to the QB and GM, and surely other vets to restructure as well, but the cards are in Allen’s hands as far as leading by example contract-wise as well as in helping to determine what money is available to retain or add talent,” he wrote.
McKenzie Struggled to Hold Down Slot Role
After playing a light role in the Bills’ offense through his first three seasons, McKenzie had some higher expectations coming into the 2022 season. The departure of veteran slot receiver Cole Beasley left an opening, and McKenzie showed promise in filling in for Beasley in a win over the New England Patriots, making 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown.
JOSH ALLEN FINDS ISAIAH MCKENZIE FOR THE BILLS TOUCHDOWN!! #Thanksgiving
Though McKenzie earned the starting job in the offseason, he failed to match Beasley’s level of production from previous seasons. McKenzie did notch career highs with 42 catches for 423 yards, adding four touchdowns, but did not seem to earn the full trust of head coach Sean McDermott and Allen.
When the Bills struggled on offense in the final stretch of the season, the team opted to entice Beasley out of retirement to return while McKenzie saw his role dwindle. Over the final four games of the season, McKenzie made just seven total catches for 64 yards.