The Buffalo Bills kicked off training camp with several key players heading into the final year of their contracts without extensions, including tight end Dawson Knox.
However, the Bills’ third-round pick in 2019 didn’t wait to ink a new deal before putting down roots in Buffalo. The Ole Miss alum plunked down $995,000 for a three-bedroom house at 3350 Angle Road in Orchard Park, per Bizjournals.com, just a 10-minute drive from Highmark Stadium — a bold move for someone who doesn’t have a guarantee they’ll be part of the team next season.
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On the flip side, the fact that Knox purchased the home in the first place could be a hint that he’s confident an extension is just around the corner.
Dawson Knox 1st TD +1400 ✅
Knox’s new house looks gorgeous based on the photos shared by WGNA.com. In addition to nearly 4,000 square feet of living space, the property sits on 6 acres of land with a saltwater pool in the backyard and a heart-shaped pond in the front yard. A separate three-car garage with an upstairs living space sits next to the main house, and there are two statues of buffaloes, natch, near the driveway.
Knox Said He Told the Bills That He Wants to Stay
On Day 2 of training camp at St. John Fisher College, Knox commented on his contract situation, noting he’d recently purchased a new home in Western New York, according to a July 25 tweet by WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio. Knox said “first and foremost I want to be here” and mentioned that he’s communicated with the team that he’d like to remain in Buffalo.
During his breakout season last year, he was on the field for 76.5% of the team’s offensive snaps and caught 49 receptions for 587 yards with nine touchdowns, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia says the team needs to see more before offering him a massive pay raise.
“There is some risk that Knox could be a one-year wonder, so they might choose to see how he begins training camp and the regular season rather than racing to sign him right now,” Buscaglia wrote in a July 6 story.
Knox’s 2022 base salary is $2.5 million, and if the Bills don’t sign him to an extension, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2023. According to Spotrac.com, he’s projected to earn a four-year, $50 million extension, which would bump his annual base salary to an average of $12.3 million.
Last month, Knox first broke his silence on contract negotiations. “I don’t think it’s any different than any other year,” Knox said in a June 15 report by WKBW’s Adam Unger. “You start thinking about stuff like that, it’s just gonna distract you from how you’re playing on the field, so it’s just same old year, same old thing.”
It sounds like the 6-foot-4 receiver is letting his agent, Rep 1 Sports Chase Callahan, take care of the business side, while he stays concentrated on upgrading his game.
The Bills Can’t Keep Every Player Due for an Extension
GettyBrandon Beane, general manager of the Buffalo Bills speaks to reporters at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has some tough decisions to make when it comes to deciding which players he’ll keep after the 2022 season, especially since quarterback Josh Allen’s salary comes with a $39.7 million cap hit in 2023, per Spotrac.com, Stefon Diggs’ new extension comes with an approximately $20.3 million hit, and Von Miller’s deal depletes another $18.7 million.
In addition to Knox, Jordan Poyer, Devin Singletary and Tremaine Edmunds are entering the final year of their respective contracts.
Back on April 22, Beane discussed the difficult situation of having so many worth players due for an extension at the same time, reported The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia:
“Yeah, I mean, it’s hard. There’s other guys here that want to be paid, too… I want to pay ’em all — the ones that deserve it and have earned it,” Beane said. “There’s other guys here that I feel have earned it as well, and want to do it. There’s guys that have left here since I’ve been here that I’ve wanted to pay, or our organization has wanted to pay, but you can’t pay them all, to the point of your question. And that’s hard because I’m a people person. I love these guys and love ’em to death, but I also have a job to do and have rules to follow. From a cap standpoint and cash. Unfortunately, you have to say goodbye to some.”
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