The Buffalo Bills looked like geniuses after trading for Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore this offseason because he went off for 5 receptions for 100 yards and 1 touchdown in a 36-31 win over the Houston Texans in Week 1.
Even with Moore’s incredible outing, he wasn’t the breakout star for the Bills against the Texans — that was tight end Dalton Kincaid with 5 receptions for 130 yards.
“Per ESPN Research: Dalton Kincaid had 130 receiving yards against the Texans, the most for a Bills tight end since 1967,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote on his official X account.
Kincaid’s career game — and the best game for a Bills tight end since 1967 — led Solak to call to call the former 1st-round pick the “Special Sauce” for the offense.
“In that Moore is the shiny new receiver in Buffalo, it is easy to attribute any and all offensive improvement from the Bills this season to his appearance,” Solak wrote on September 15. “But I would argue it is the skill set of Kincaid — who can 1) keep the Bills in multi-TE sets and 2) make WR-esque plays down the field — that clarifies Moore’s role. The Bills were in 13 personnel on 20 snaps against the Texans on Sunday. On eight of those snaps, Moore was the lone receiver. Running 13 personnel forces opponents into base defense and single-high coverages. It makes them predictable and easier to pass against, and Moore feasts at that table — but only because Kincaid laid it out for him.”
The Bills and Kincaid have another huge test in Week 2 — a primetime game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football at the regular-season opener for the brand-new Highmark Stadium.
BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
Dalton Kincaid Predicted for $42 Million Payday
ESPN’s Dan Graziano put Kincaid on his list of possible NFL “surprises” headed into 2026, predicting he’ll land a new deal. Spotrac currently projects Kincaid’s next contract as a 3-year, $42.3 million extension.
“Entering his fourth season, the 2023 first-round pick has struggled to stay on the field due to various injury issues and hasn’t come especially close to matching the 73 catches or 673 yards he put up in his rookie year,” Graziano wrote on September 2. “Buffalo picked up Kincaid’s fifth-year option for 2027, so it has some time to decide what to do with him long term. But if he can deliver a fully healthy season and if his apparent offseason improvements carry into the season, he could be in line for a big payday next spring.”
What Dalton Kincaid’s Current Contract Looks Like
Kincaid, 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, was the No. 25 overall pick in 2023 and signed a 4-year, $14.2 million rookie contract. On March 30, the Bills picked up the 5th-year option on Kincaid’s contract, which would pay him approximately $8.16 million in 2027.
The projected new contract would make him the 4th-highest-paid tight end in the NFL in terms of average annual salary at $14.4 million per season — close to the total amount of Kincaid’s rookie deal.
Kincaid is coming off his 1st Pro Bowl selection in 2025 with 39 receptions for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns in just 12 games after missing 5 games due to injury.
“We know Dalton Kincaid is going to move the needle when he’s on the field,” Establish the Run’s Adam Levitan wrote on his official X account on Monday. “Now finally appears to be over PCL issue. Played 42-of-57 snaps yesterday (74%). And ran 22 routes on 32 Josh Allen dropbacks (69%).”
Buffalo Bills Star Called ‘Special Sauce’ for Offense After Career Game