The Bills have big roster decisions to make for the next season.That means they also have to look after their finances. They are in the bottom-third of the NFL in terms of estimated cap space.Joe Brady has been announced as their new head coach.
Promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach finally closed the Bills’ search, but it didn’t bring full clarity. Buffalo still has major work ahead, including reshaping its staff on both sides of the ball. Beyond that, the franchise also faces a series of difficult roster decisions that will dictate what comes next.
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That’s where things seem to be getting murkier for quarterback Josh Allen. The possibility of losing some important contributors heading into the 2026 season seems like a tough scenario. Buffalo currently has 23 players set to hit free agency, as reported by Bills Wire. Out of those, 21 are unrestricted free agents, while only two fall under the restricted category.
And out of those 21 unrestricted free agents, 12 are on the defensive side of the ball. This means the Bills risk losing most of that group once free agency opens in March, unless they move quickly to retain them. While Brady focuses on identifying his new offensive and defensive coordinators, roster decisions will fall to the front office, led by the team’s general manager and the newly promoted President of Football Operations, Brandon Beane.
Buffalo has relied on the same starting offensive line for the past two seasons, but that continuity is now in question.
Both Connor McGovern and David Edwards are set to hit free agency, creating uncertainty up front. That’s not ideal for Allen, especially considering how well the unit functioned under offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who is retiring. With a new coach coming in, the Bills face a significant workload and also some careful financial decisions.
From a financial standpoint, Spotrac projects the 2026 salary cap to sit just above $304 million. Against that backdrop, the Bills are heading into the offseason roughly $7 million over the limit. That reality means Buffalo will have to depend on a mix of trades, releases, and contract restructures to create the flexibility needed to tackle its most pressing free-agency priorities.
The Buffalo Bills are in the bottom-third of the league in terms of estimated cap space.
As it stands, the only restricted free agents are offensive tackle Alec Anderson and Ryan Van Demark, both of whom previously played on contracts with an average annual value of $1,030,000. Everyone else remains unrestricted as free agency approaches. Take a look:
Unrestricted free agentsAgePrevious annual average valueDE Joey Bosa30$12,610,000DL DaQuan Jones34$8,000,000C Connor McGovern28$7,450,000DL Larry Ogunjobi31$6,696,735LB Matt Milano30$6,306,500DE A.J. Epenesa27$6,000,000CB Tre’Davious White31$3,000,000G David Edwards28$3,000,000QB Mitchell Trubisky31$2,625,000S Damar Hamlin27$2,000,000FB Reggie Gilliam28$2,000,000CB Cam Lewis28$1,550,000S Jordan Poyer34$1,255,000WR Brandin Cooks32$1,255,000K Matt Prater41$1,255,000LB Shaq Thompson31$1,255,000DL Jordan Phillips33$1,255,000S Sam Franklin29$1,170,000P Mitch Wishnowsky33$1,170,000WR Gabriel Davis26$1,170,000S Darnell Savage28$1,170,000
That said, free agency begins as soon as the new league year opens. The Bills are expected to strike a balance, retaining certain players while allowing a few key contributors to walk. On the coaching front, Brady’s focus now shifts to finalizing his coordinator hires.
The Bills promote Joe Brady to the head coach position
After a round of interviews, the Bills ultimately chose continuity, promoting Joe Brady to head coach ahead of the 2026 season. It was on Tuesday afternoon that the decision-makers announced they agreed to terms with Brady, and just two days later, Brady signed the five-year deal and was introduced as the new coach. At age 36, he is set to be the youngest head coach in the NFL for the 2026 season
“We wanted a highly intelligent, aggressive, and excellent communicator. We wanted alignment. Joe Brady is all of that and more,” Beane said.
With that decision made, Brady’s responsibilities immediately expand. For one, he now needs to fill the offensive coordinator role he just vacated, but reports suggest that he will continue calling the offensive plays. That will help maintain the continuity he has with Josh Allen and the offense.
Brady’s tenure in Buffalo began in 2022, when he arrived on Sean McDermott’s staff as quarterbacks coach. That role expanded in November 2023, as he stepped in as interim offensive coordinator after Ken Dorsey was let go. The promotion stuck, with him leading the Bills’ offense throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
But on top of that, Buffalo is also in the market for a new defensive coordinator. The reason is fairly straightforward. The search is now urgent, as Bobby Babich departed Buffalo to join the Green Bay Packers as their defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach just hours after Brady was elevated to HC. Babich had been with the Bills since 2017.
All of that leaves Buffalo in the middle of a broader coaching reset. The most important decision, the head coach, is now locked in. How the remaining pieces fall into place should become clearer over the next few days.
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