The Buffalo Bills haven’t officially pulled the lever yet, but all signs point in one clear direction when it comes to tight end Dalton Kincaid and his fifth-year option. Speaking recently, Bills president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane left little room for doubt about the team’s intentions.
“I don’t see any reason why the Bills would not pick that up,” Beane said when asked about Kincaid’s fifth-year option. While the decision is not yet official, Beane’s comments strongly suggest
Buffalo plans to exercise the option ahead of the May 1 deadline.
How the NFL’s fifth-year option works
Fifth-year options apply to first-round picks, giving teams an additional season of contractual control without negotiating a long-term extension. For players drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, teams must decide by May 1, 2026 whether to exercise the option for the 2027 season.
Kincaid will enter the 2026 season as a fourth-year player. If the Bills do not exercise his option, he would be scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Picking up the option locks him in for that season on a fully guaranteed salary.
How much is Kincaid’s 5th-year option? The salary tiers explained
Fifth-year-option salaries are determined by performance-based tiers, as outlined by OverTheCap. For tight ends, the 2027 option values project as follows:
• Basic tier: $8.752 million
• Playtime tier: $9.734 million
• One Pro Bowl: $13.50 million
• Multiple Pro Bowls: $15.889 million
Kincaid was named to the 2026 Pro Bowl roster, but as an alternate. Under the latest CBA (2020), only primary Pro Bowl selections qualify for the higher Pro Bowl salary tiers. Alternates do not count. Because Kincaid was not a primary selection, the Bills would retain him at the basic tier, which is calculated as the average of the third-25th highest tight end salaries over the previous five seasons.
Why this is a win for Buffalo
From a roster-building and cap-management standpoint, this is a best-case scenario for the Bills. They maintain control of a core offensive weapon through 2027 at a reasonable, fully guaranteed number of $8.75 million, without committing to a long-term extension just yet.
For Kincaid, the option provides financial security while setting the stage for a potential extension down the road. For Buffalo, it buys time and flexibility as the offense continues to evolve. The fifth-year option also does not preclude the Bills from negotiating an extension prior to or during the 2027 season.
Unless something unexpected changes before May 1, Dalton Kincaid appears set to remain a key part of the Bills’ plans well into the future and at a price that makes plenty of sense.
