The Buffalo Bills enter the midpoint of the 2025 season tight against the salary cap, sitting with about $2.5 million in available space according to Spotrac and OverTheCap. With recent injuries to account for and some glaring roster needs, general manager Brandon Beane’s only realistic options for in-season flexibility are a few extensions or restructures.
Let’s take a closer look at the candidates, and which moves make the most sense while keeping in mind that these amounts would have been effective
before Week 1. That means at this point of the season amounts would be prorated.
4 Bills players who could have their contracts restructured in 2025
DaQuan Jones (DT)
Extension savings: ≈ $5 million | Restructure savings: ≈ $4.5 million
This is one of the more logical moves available, but it doesn’t come without financial consequences. Jones had played well before his most recent injury and he’s a steady presence on the interior of the defensive line. But he is 34, so there’s obvious risk.
An extension would reward Jones’ play and provide immediate flexibility (provided he’s healthy), but it does put him under contract for another season at 35. Jones does have some void years, so a restructure is also a possibility but it just pushes money to next season when it all becomes due.
Connor McGovern (C)
Extension savings: ≈ $4 million
Extending McGovern would solidify the offensive line’s core and open up a couple million in space. It’s not a groundbreaking amount, but meaningful enough if paired with another move.
Taron Johnson (NCB)
Restructure savings: ≈ $3 million
Johnson was just extended last offseason, so another adjustment would push more money into future years. That said, he’s still young enough and has enough seasons left that a restructure could be justified if absolutely necessary.
A.J. Epenesa (DE)
Restructure/extension savings: ≈ $3 million
Epenesa’s contract already includes three void years, meaning money has already been allocated to him beyond 2025. A extension would roll those void years into real seasons, creating space and keeping a solid rotational edge defender under contract. But the rumor mill has him sitting on the trade block.
He’s been one of the more consistent depth players for Buffalo’s defense, so Epenesa’s an obvious loss if he’s dealt. It’s also not a money saver for One Bills Drive because of the void years, so it would have to be for an asset that makes sense, and the team would have to create space for anyone Buffalo received in return.
Less-attractive contract restructures Bills could leverage
Matt Milano (LB): There’s a potential savings just over $3 million, but the oft-injured Milano makes an extension unlikely. The team finally gets out of this deal after the 2025 season with about $11 million in void years that will become dead cap, and doubling down on even more future money makes little sense.
Dawson Knox (TE): This move could free up around $5 million via a restructure or extension. However, this contract is already one Buffalo may prefer to exit from after the 2025 season as no guaranteed money is due in 2026, and they would just add to the $7 million-plus in dead-cap next year. Only a significant pay-cut-style extension would make sense.
If the Bills want to manufacture short-term space to make a move before the November 4 NFL trade deadline, extending DaQuan Jones, Connor McGovern and A.J. Epenesa can create some potential space without severely compromising future cap. Anything beyond that starts to feel like a move made out of desperation.
