Buffalo Bills 2026 NFL Season Preview

[Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2026 NFL Preview magazine. Order your issue online today, or grab a copy at newsstands and retail racks nationwide.]

The sight of his superstar quarterback, Josh Allen, devastated in the visiting locker room in Denver in the moments after the Bills’ devastating AFC divisional round playoff loss to the Broncos last January was an enlightening moment for team owner Terry Pegula.

“I looked around, and the first thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying,” Pegula said. “I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain. I know we can do better, and I know we will get better.”

Thus, Pegula fired head coach Sean McDermott, the coach who rescued his sagging franchise, ended the embarrassing 17-year playoff drought in his first season in 2017 and proceeded to lead the Bills into the playoffs in eight of nine seasons, winning five AFC East titles and appearing in two AFC Championship Games. McDermott’s Bills won more games from 2017-25 than every other NFL team except the Kansas City Chiefs.

But while the Chiefs won five AFC titles and three Super Bowls in that span, the Bills won zero and zero.

With Allen turning 30 in May, Pegula felt the time had come to try something different because, as he said, “I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall year after year.”

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady was promoted to the big office, and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was hired to make changes to a unit that has repeatedly let the Bills down in January.

It’s a new era in Buffalo, and there’s also a whole lot of pressure on Brady, the youngest head coach in the NFL at 36, as he steps into a situation where he’s walking a tightrope with no safety net.

The Bills, the only team in the NFL to have qualified for the playoffs seven seasons running, remain in win-now mode, and Pegula has made it clear that just making it to the tournament isn’t good enough. Nothing less than a Super Bowl championship, or at the very least, a Super Bowl appearance, is going to cut it with Allen in the prime of his career.

Offense

Brady was the last man standing after nine head coach interviews, and one of the key reasons is that Pegula and president/general manager Brandon Beane wanted the offense to keep rolling as it had with Brady as coordinator.

The Bills tied for fourth in scoring, ranked fourth in total yards and led the NFL in rushing last season. James Cook III ran for an NFL-best 1,621 yards, and his 56.6% success rate was second only to Kyren Williams among backs who topped 1,000 yards. He produced 68 first downs and scored 12 TDs playing behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the NFL. However, the Bills lost left guard David Edwards in free agency, and they don’t have a great alternative in place on the roster.

Even though the Bills’ wide receiver room was underwhelming for a second straight season, Allen improved his completion percentage from 63.6% to 69.3%. That was partially the result of his reliance on easy, quick passes because the WRs had so much trouble getting open in the intermediate areas. Allen also threw 10 picks and was sacked a career-high 40 times, the majority of those because he held the ball too long waiting for someone to get open.

To remedy their weakness at the receiver position, the Bills acquired DJ Moore in a trade with the Chicago Bears and drafted Skyler Bell in the fourth round. There’s optimism that Khalil Shakir can remain an effective slot weapon, that Joshua Palmer can stay healthy and deliver on his 2025 free-agent promise and that Keon Coleman can put two sloppy years behind him and play like a second-round pick. If all that happens, the offense should keep humming.

Defense

After nine years in McDermott’s 4-2-5 base nickel, Leonhard is implementing a 3-4. The transition does raise some concerns because so many of the Bills’ returning players were drafted and developed to play in the old defense. Now, everyone in the front seven has to learn a slightly different position, and the question will be how quickly the Bills can get past the growing pains.

The biggest change comes on the edge, as both Greg Rousseau and Michael Hoecht convert from playing with a hand on the ground in a 4-3 to being standup outside linebackers with occasional coverage responsibilities. Bradley Chubb signed in free agency because that’s the position he has played most of his career; likewise for TJ Parker from Clemson, the Bills’ first pick in the draft. Buffalo’s pass rush has often failed to finish, and Leonhard is hoping to change that by moving pieces around up front and utilizing stunts and blitzes.

On the line, Ed Oliver missed most of last season because of injury, but he is back and should excel moving out a little wider in the 4i/5-tech spot. Deone Walker is coming off a solid rookie season and will likely be utilized in the 4i/5-tech but also as a nose tackle in the A gap.

Christian Benford is one of the top cornerbacks in the league, but behind him it’s thin. Maxwell Hairston, the team’s 2025 first-round pick, couldn’t stay healthy as a rookie, and the only depth behind them is 2026 second-round pick Davison Igbinosun, who may have been a reach in that spot. Signing veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was a solid move. He’ll pair with Cole Bishop, who appears ready to take off in his third season.

Specialists

Placekicker Tyler Bass missed all of 2025, but the Bills feel that he has recovered in full and should pick up where he left off in 2024. Bass has a career field-goal accuracy of 84.5% and an extra-point success rate of 96%. Still, he has to prove he’s healthy, and if something goes wrong, it’s not crazy to think the Bills would release him over the summer, save $1.8 million on the cap and sign someone at a lower cost. Unlikely, but possible.

Mitch Wishnowsky joined the Bills last year in Week 5 and settled down a turbulent punting situation. The team re-signed him to a one-year deal, but they spent a seventh-round pick on Tommy Doman Jr., who will compete for the job. If Doman wins, he would also save the Bills some cap space.

Ray Davis emerged from nowhere as a kickoff returner and wound up earning All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with a 30.4-yard average, which included a 97-yard TD. Punt return has been a black hole in Buffalo for several years, and there’s no clarity for 2026.

Final analysis

The Bills are still legitimate Super Bowl contenders because they have Allen playing brilliantly, augmented by a dynamic running attack with Cook. The big questions all come on defense, as the new scheme will take time to implement while the returning players figure out their fits and learn their new roles. The AFC East is no longer Buffalo’s private domain, as it was for five straight seasons, with the New England Patriots ready to defend their division title. But there’s no reason why the Bills can’t switch places with New England in 2026.

Related: Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview Magazine Now Available

Related: Recalling the Day O.J. Simpson Threatened to Kill Me

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.