The Buffalo Bills enter the 2026 NFL season with plenty of hype and expectations.
Buffalo made a coaching change after another playoff disappointment, as the Bills hired Joe Brady as their new head coach.
The Bills open their 2026 NFL season on the road on Sept. 13 against the Houston Texans. Buffalo enters the year with the second-best odds of winning the Super Bowl at +1000.
Buffalo Bills LB Handed Hash Take
Entering the 2026 NFL season, Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams are set to be the team’s starting linebackers.
However, Buffalo selected Kaleb Elarms-Orr in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to add to the linebacker unit. He impressed in training camp, and many expect him to leapfrog Williams as the starter at some point this season.
With that, Bills analyst Brandon Ray of FanSided believes Williams will lose his starting spot and won’t even be on the roster next season.
“Williams is one of the few inside linebackers on the team going into this season, and he is a great run supporter. With Buffalo having to deal with injuries at linebacker in recent memory, Williams has had some opportunities to make his impact,” Ray wrote.
“He had a solid 2024 season with 117 total tackles and 3 fumble recoveries when the Bills had lost Matt Milano for a majority of the season. Now with the Bills having a rising rookie in Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Williams could very well be playing this year as an audition for other teams next year.”
The Bills selected Williams in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Tulane. He’s been a solid linebacker for Buffalo. In 2024, he recorded 117 tackles and forced 3 fumbles. Last year, he recorded 63 tackles and 1 forced fumble as he took a step back.
Williams is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and if he plays well, another NFL team could overpay for him. And with the Bills drafting Elarms-Orr as his potential replacement, Buffalo could be fine letting him walk.
Buffalo Has New Look Defense in 2026
The Bills have a brand-new defense after the firing of head coach Sean McDermott and the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Leonhard is changing it to a 3-4 defense, and head coach Joe Brady is eager to see the defense in action in Week 1.
“I think the versatility is a huge piece,” said Brady of Buffalo’s defense. “We want to be able to fly around, we want to be able to be physical, we want to make plays on the ball. But there’s a versatility that I think should continue to make it challenging on offenses. If you know exactly where guys are going to be, it makes it easy for an offense. And I think that versatility is something that should be an advantage for us as we progress throughout the season.”
The defense has been an issue in the playoffs in the past several years. So, the Bills are hopeful it will be much better this season.
Buffalo is a 1.5-point favorite.
Buffalo Bills Starting LB Handed Harsh Outlook on Future Ahead of NFL Season