Bills Face Difficult Free Agency Decisions

Buffalo has 26 free agents and limited cap space to retain key players.

Feb. 8, 2026 at 4:23pm

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The Buffalo Bills are facing a challenging offseason as they head into free agency with 26 impending free agents and limited salary cap space. The team is $7.4 million over the cap and could lose several key starters, including center Connor McGovern, left guard David Edwards, cornerback Tre'Davious White, safety Jordan Poyer, and several defensive linemen and linebackers.

Why it matters

The Bills have been on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance for years, making the playoffs six straight seasons. Retaining their top free agents will be crucial to maintaining that competitiveness, especially with new head coach Joe Brady taking over. However, the team's financial constraints will force them to make difficult decisions on which players to prioritize.

The details

The Bills have 26 free agents and are $7.4 million over the salary cap. Among their key free agents are center Connor McGovern, left guard David Edwards, cornerback Tre'Davious White, safety Jordan Poyer, edge rushers Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa, defensive tackles DaQuan Jones and Larry Ogunjobi, linebackers Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson, and specialists Matt Prater and Mitch Wishnowsky. The team will need to determine which of these players are the most essential to retain and allocate resources accordingly, likely having to let some go in order to create cap space.

  • The 2026 NFL free agency period begins on March 13.

The players

Connor McGovern

The Bills' starting center and an impending free agent.

David Edwards

The Bills' starting left guard and an impending free agent.

Tre'Davious White

The Bills' starting cornerback and an impending free agent.

Jordan Poyer

The Bills' starting safety and an impending free agent.

Joe Brady

The Bills' new head coach, taking over for Sean McDermott.

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What they’re saying

“While they only have 26 impending free agents and are only $7.4 million over the cap, the real trouble for the Bills comes with the importance of the players they could lose.”

— Matt Okada, NFL.com writer (NFL.com)

What’s next

The Bills will need to make difficult decisions on which free agents to prioritize and retain, balancing their limited cap space with the need to maintain a competitive roster around quarterback Josh Allen.

The takeaway

The Bills' challenging free agency situation highlights the difficulty of sustaining success in the NFL, even for a team that has been a consistent playoff contender. The team's financial constraints will force them to make tough choices on which players to keep, which could significantly reshape their roster for the 2026 season.