Dalton Kincaid is in the fourth year of his rookie deal with the Buffalo Bills, and the club already picked up his fifth-year option for 2027. But after a small-sample 2025 season where he led all tight ends in yards per route run, the ultimate receiving efficiency metric, and his absolutely blazing start to 2026, Brandon Beane’s history of signing homegrown talent early means we gotta look at what’s coming for Kincaid’s extension.
Buffalo’s New Tight End Price Tag Is Sky-High
Seriously, this guy is playing at the top of the league, so you gotta start with the biggest deals out there. Right now, the top three tight end contracts in the NFL are George Kittle (4 years, $76.4 million total, $19.1 million APY, $33 million guaranteed), Trey McBride (4 years, $76 million total, $19 million APY, $32.5 million guaranteed), and Tucker Kraft (4 years, $75 million total, $18.75 million APY, $26.5 million guaranteed). But here’s the kicker: while those APY numbers look big, what’s really wild is Kyle Pitts. He’s technically fourth in Average Per Year at $17.67 million, but he actually pulled down the most guaranteed money at signing from that group, a massive $36 million. That guaranteed cash is what truly matters, and it sets a new bar for what Kincaid’s agent is gonna demand.
Kincaid’s Production Versus the Field
When you stack Kincaid against these guys, his production speaks for itself. He’s only played 43 career games and has 168 catches, but his 1.91 career yards per route run absolutely crushes the competition. Compare that to McBride (67 games, 356 catches, 1.80 YPRR), Kraft (43 games, 116 catches, 1.67 YPRR), or Pitts (79 games, 284 catches, 1.63 YPRR). Kincaid’s efficiency is just next level. Age-wise, Pitts is about a year younger than Kincaid, and McBride is just a month younger. Kraft was drafted in the same year but is also a year younger. George Kittle is much older, so his deal probably won’t be as big a factor, but the others are super relevant. The Bills really should’ve gotten ahead of the Tucker Kraft contract before Green Bay handed him a huge extension even after he tore his ACL in 2025. That deal looks like a benchmark now.
The Injury Factor and What’s Next
Here’s the rub: Kincaid’s prolonged injury history is likely a big reason why Buffalo hasn’t offered him an extension yet. He’s missed 10 regular-season games due to injury compared to McBride’s 1, Kraft’s 9, and Pitts’ 8. That’s a real concern, especially when you think about Kraft getting paid after an ACL tear. Still, there’s precedent for Buffalo to make a move soon. Greg Rousseau and the Bills agreed on his second contract after his fourth season. With no Bills game on Sunday in Week 2, the front office has some time to figure out how to lock up their dynamic tight end. You gotta wonder if they’ll let that injury history keep them from paying him what his production clearly deserves.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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