Coming off an MVP campaign, Josh Allen is in for another big year in 2025. He will have to prepare to do so without one of his top offensive weapons, as the Buffalo Bills placed starting tight end Dawson Knox on the NFI list to begin training camp.

Knox was placed on the list with an undisclosed injury, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero. Knox, a 2019 third-round pick, has yet to play a full year, but has never missed more than five games in a single season. Without further details on his injury, a timeline on his return remains vague.

Knox’s absence will pencil in Dalton Kincaid as the starting tight end to begin training camp, with 2025 fifth-round pick Jackson Hawes to potentially see more first-team reps. The Bills utilized many two-tight end sets in 2024, resulting in 13 starts for Knox and nine for Kincaid.

Knox is coming off a modest 311 receiving yards in 2024, which has become the norm for his career. Since Kincaid entered the picture in 2023, Knox has accepted a larger role as a blocker and significantly fewer route-running snaps than he saw before. He is still a crucial piece of Buffalo’s offense, particularly in the red zone.

Bills’ dynamic offense preparing for bigger year in 2025

Coming off another season-ending loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 playoffs, the Bills expect to take another leap in 2025. Buffalo’s offense showed significant improvement in 2024 under offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s first year and figures to continue building moving forward.

The Bills return a whopping 10 offensive starters, only missing wideout Amari Cooper, whom they let walk in free agency. They replaced Cooper with a trio of veteran receivers in Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore and Laviska Shenault Jr.

In addition to returning the reigning MVP, the Bills bring back three other Pro Bowlers, all from their offense. James Cook, who led the league with 16 rushing touchdowns, made the cut, along with guard Dion Dawkins and center Connor McGovern.