Bills brass' offseason instructions to underperforming Dalton Kincaid

The Buffalo Bills traded up two spots to make TE Dalton Kincaid the No. 25 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he hit somewhat of a sophomore slump.

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) drops a pass in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Simply put, the Buffalo Bills need more from this the first-round offensive playmaker who they traded up two spots to draft in 2023.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid proved that the sophomore slump is real. Hampered by bumps and bruises throughout the 2024 campaign, Kincaid totaled only two touchdowns while averaging a pedestrian 34.5 yards per appearance.

Instead of an heroic moment in the AFC Championship Game, Kincaid left fans wondering what could've been as Josh Allen's fourth-down heave hit the tight end in the hands before hitting the ground with under 2:00 remaining in the 32-29 season-ending loss.

“Dalton didn't have that next step up type of year," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott during his end-of-season press conference in Orchard Park. "Some of it was he missed some games due to injury. Then, he came back and was trying to play through some of it. As far as the last, the last ball, Dalton makes those plays. It never comes down to just one play, and I want to make sure everybody knows that."

As for moving into Year 3, Kincaid has some work to do this offseason, according to Bills' general manager Brandon Beane.

Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane during the NFL combine / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"He's going to have to continue to work on his play strength. He's not as built and muscular as, let's just say, Dawson is, and so that's one of the nuances of this game," said Beane. "In college you don't play 17 games plus playoffs, so building your body up to withstand what it takes.”

Reportedly fighting through a PCL injury the second half of the season, Kincaid was quiet down the stretch. Over the last two playoff games, he totaled only 24 receiving yards by catching 3 of 6 targets.

RELATED: What offseason moves does Brandon Beane need to make to compete with Chiefs?

The 6-foot-4 Kincaid, who caught 73 of 91 targets as a rookie in 2023, could presumably benefit by bulking up and filling out his frame.

"My confidence, our confidence in Dalton is extremely high. He knows and we know that he has to get to a level of health and strength, playing strength, so that he can remain healthy through the course of a full season," said McDermott.

Dec 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) side arm tosses the ball to end Dalton Kincaid (86) for a touchdown / David Reginek-Imagn Images

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