The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement for at multiyear extension with left tackle Dion Dawkins, a team source confirmed to The Athletic. The deal is reportedly for three-years and worth up to $60.5 million.
Just prior to the news breaking Dawkins posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, that hinted the three time Pro Bowler’s tenure in Buffalo was coming to an end.
“It was good while it lasted Buffalo,” he wrote. “Excited for this next chapter of my football career. Wonder if it’s ok to eat ranch now?”
Shortly after that post and the news of the extension broke, Dawkins made light of his previous post and said he’s “never leaving,” adding that he is “Buffalo for life.”
Yall are cra why would ever Leave Buffalo im never leaving guy Im buffalo for life ❄️❄️❄️
— Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) March 11, 2024
The 29-year-old has spent his entire career with the Bills after the franchise drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
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The Bills have parted ways with several longstanding members of the organization this offseason, but Dawkins will not be one of them. The team’s franchise left tackle has been with the team since 2017 and has protected Josh Allen’s blind side every year since the quarterback was drafted in 2018.
After having some slight regression during the 2022 season, Dawkins returned in 2023 with an enhanced focus on his diet and saw his productivity skyrocket. Several of his teammates brought up how much work the left tackle had been putting in through the offseason and regular season to improve himself. Dawkins put together one of his best seasons and set a new career mark by allowing only two sacks all season.
Dawkins has also been an indispensable piece of the locker room. Now, with longtime center Mitch Morse released, the Bills will look to Dawkins as the new leader of the offensive line room, helping to bring along several talented young players like right tackle Spencer Brown and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence.
If how general manager Brandon Beane has conducted his business with extensions previously holds true, the three-year Dawkins extension will also likely come with the bonus of cap relief in 2024. Dawkins was originally slated to have a cap hit of $16.61 million this season, and with the Bills still operating in the red with cap space before and after this move, the Dawkins extension should help open up some more wiggle room to sign players this offseason.
Dawkins will turn 30 in August, so there will likely be an easy out to release him with cap savings either ahead of his age-32 campaign in 2026 or his age-33 season in 2027. But the important part is the Bills have their franchise left tackle locked in for the next two seasons, hoping to keep their winning window with Allen wide open in 2024.
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(Photo: Bryan Bennett / Getty Images)
