1 surprising Bills player who could make or break 2025 NFL season

If Super Bowl things are going to fall into place for the Buffalo Bills, they likely need to get the contract settled with James Cook and have Joey Bosa remain healthy. However, here is one surprising player who could make or break the Bills' 2025 NFL season.

The Bills have a couple of players who could greatly impact the 2025 season. Included in that mix are Bosa and wide receiver Keon Coleman. However, it is Dalton Kincaid who gets the surprise nod as the most crucial player for the upcoming campaign.

Bills need big performances from TE Dalton Kincaid

It’s pretty clear, Kincaid’s progress is high on the Bills’ wish list, according to nytimes.com.

“There are three major factors for Kincaid getting that distinction,” Joe Buscaglia wrote. “The first is that the team staunchly believes in his talent. And that they’ve seen what he can do with a heightened role during an albeit small sample size during his rookie season.

“Second, there isn’t a compelling case for anyone else on offense to see their role increase as pronounced as what it could be for Kincaid based on his playing time late last season. Third, there are nuanced pieces of the puzzle that could influence Kincaid’s role and overall impact on the Bills in 2025, as he has the talent level to become one of the best offensive skill players on the roster.”

That’s a handful of important stuff. So, how does he count as a surprise if he’s that important? Simply because he hasn’t done it before. He caught 73 passes for 673 yards as a rookie in 2023, but scored only twice. Last year, in only nine starts, he totaled 44 catches for 448 yards with, again, two scores.

Those numbers don’t suggest a key player. But with the Bills’ wide receiver room being shallow and fairly unimpressive, somebody needs to step up. The Bills rank No. 19 among receiving groups, according to Pro Football Focus.

“The Bills put forth a diverse passing attack in 2024, with eight players seeing more than 30 targets,” Trevor Sikkema wrote. “Khalil Shakir not only led them in targets but also in PFF receiving grade (80.1). Second-year wideout Keon Coleman could be in for a massive season after earning just a 68.8 PFF receiving grade as a rookie.”

Interestingly, Kincaid received mention in the article as a guy who can lift the group.

“Meanwhile, Dalton Kincaid cracked the top 10 of PFF's tight end rankings with the ninth-best PFF WAR figure at the position over the past two seasons,” Sikkema wrote.

There is talk of Kincaid becoming Allen’s top option this season, according to Niagara Gazette via yahoo.com.

“Dalton was really more of an injury thing that he fought through and nothing more than that,” Bills GM Brandon Beane said. “I felt like maybe I even probably was a little bit overcritical. I wasn’t trying to do that. Probably could have done a better job of saying that. They’re going to be physical, you’re battling an injury. And you’re going to try and armour yourself a little bit more.”

Kincaid is already off to a good start, including strong practice reports, according to a post on X by Alex Brasky.

The Dalton Kincaid show was in full effect at #Bills Thursday mandatory minicamp. Kincaid leapt to make two impressive touchdown grabs during team drills, including one over CB Taron Johnson and another over S Darrick Forrest — both in corners of the end zone. The third-year TE caught a third TD over the middle near the back of the end zone with Taylor Rapp in coverage. It’s been a fruitful spring and summer for Kincaid #BillsMafia

Kincaid will also be motivated to erase the fourth-down drop late in the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs. Kincaid said at the time it bothered him not to make the tough play, according to billswire.com.

“Just sucks a lot not being able to bring it down,” Kincaid said. “This hurts a lot.”

Of course, it still comes down to Josh Allen doing his thing. Beane said the Bills will keep fighting.

“I'm a firm believer that you keep swinging the sword,” Beane said. “You keep fighting. You do not give in; you work harder. (And) you use that frustration.

“I can tell you, of course Josh Allen was happy to win the MVP, who wouldn't be? But he would trade that all day, every day to hoist that Lombardi. And he's the tip of the spear for us, and we believe in that. His teammates believe in that, we believe in this coaching staff, we believe in our organization and the plan.”

The Bills have their hands full in the AFC with contenders like the Chiefs, Ravens, Bengals, and Texans potentially in their way. But if Kincaid puts up a 900-plus-yard season with seven or eight scores, the Bills might finally find a way to break through to the Super Bowl.