Dawkins' Contract Puts Bills in Financial Stranglehold | NFL News

0:00It's September 6th. Welcome in. This is NFL News Today, where the league meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. The Buffalo Bills are looking at a Super Bowl push in 2026, but there's a big financial hurdle. ESPN's Aaron Schatz points out that the team is currently 30th in the league for 2027 cap space. This means they'll have trouble keeping their roster intact for the future. The most obvious move to free up some cash is to rework the contract of their star-left tackle, Deon Dawkins. He's currently on a three-year deal worth $60.6 million. Without some adjustments, the Bills could be in a tough spot financially after this season. Dawkins has been a cornerstone for the Bills for nearly a decade, a five-time pro-buller who protects quarterback Josh Allen's blindside. He was a second-round pick back in 2017 and has become one of the team's most durable and impactful players, rarely missing games, and starting consistently since 2018.

1:01Despite his accolades, Dawkins isn't without his critics. He and fellow offensive lineman Spencer Brown have landed on pro football focuses list of the most penalized players in the league since 20. 21. Dawkins in particular has racked up 56 penalties over the last five years, with 25 of those coming in the past two seasons. Still, even with the penalties, Dawkins has played more snaps than any other tackle in that same five-year span. This suggests his penalty rate, while high, might be more understandable, given his consistent playing time and the sheer volume of working handles, protecting Allen and opening lanes for the run game.