Tight end Dawson Knox first met Dalton Kincaid on a golfing range in 2023 when Kincaid joined the Buffalo Bills' tight end room.
Though the green became a spot the two spent a lot of time together — giving Kincaid a large enough sample size of wins to confidently claim, without a doubt, he's the better golfer of the pair — their first meeting wasn't just any round of golf. They were blindfolded, hitting drives for a video. In that moment, Knox knew the rookie was going to bring a lot of energy and goofiness to the team and tight end room.
"I don't think you can find a single guy that can say a bad word about [Kincaid]," Knox said. "He always has a smile on his face, he can always make you laugh, he's just a great guy, man. Guys like that are real easy to be friends with."
At home games, Knox can always count on Kincaid to dance and run around with him when "Mr. Brightside" erupts from the speakers at Highmark Stadium, getting fans hype. In the end zone, Kincaid finds some sort of touchdown celebration to get Knox in on, whether it's a dance, knocking heads or whatever else comes to mind in the moment.
Beyond his personality, though, Kincaid started alleviating some of the pressure on Knox. The veteran was in his fifth season with the Bills when they selected Kincaid 25th overall in the first-round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Before then, Knox was taking nearly 90 percent of tight end snaps with fullback Reggie Gilliam and backup TE Quintin Morris substituting in for him whenever he needed a breather. Kincaid's presence elevated the Bills passing game.
As a rookie, Kincaid had 73 receptions for 673 yards and two touchdowns. He logged the second-highest number of catches and yards by any rookie in Bills history and set a record for rookie receptions in the tight end room in team history as well.
Kincaid's performance dipped in 2024 due to injury, posting 44 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns. Heading into 2025, Kincaid felt ready to get back on the field, compete and win. So far in 2025, he has 27 catches for 411 yards and four touchdowns.
In Week 9 against Kanas City, Kincaid logged his second, 100-yard plus game of the season. Quarterback Josh Allen targeted the 26-year-old six times, completing all six passes for 101 yards and the first touchdown of the evening. Against New England, he had 108 yards on six receptions.
This success is something head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Joe Brady knew would manifest all the way back in training camp.
"[Kincaid] was in the building every single day working out doing what he has to do both in rehab but also just continuing to be able to play a full [2024] season in the NFL. He has such a unique skill set that is so valuable to us. And you guys all know when healthy what he brings to our offense … He's a huge component to who we are," Brady said in the summer. "And his work ethic in the offseason – obviously, we're only Day 2 in, but I'm excited to really see it kind of progress."
The competition aspect to Kincaid's game that took a leap as well was assisted by Jackson Hawes entering the picture.
Buffalo drafted Hawes in the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft after his five seasons at Yale and one season at Georgia Tech.
"I think anytime you get somebody new in the room who's competitive, I think it definitely pushes you to be a better version of yourself," Kincaid said of Hawes. "I think really [he's] elevated everyone in the room."
The spotlight on Hawes' talents isn't necessarily as a receiver, though. On the offensive line, the rookie brings out of the best of the tight end room's blocking abilities. He brings an element to the entire offense that elevates what the Bills accomplished in 2024 on the line.
During that season, Buffalo used Alec Anderson as a sixth offensive lineman to assist with blocking. The addition of Hawes shifted that role over to the tight end room, allowing the offense to become more dynamic.
In 2021, only 8.7 percent of snaps featured two or more tight ends and no one from that room played in 110 snaps over the season. At least two tight ends played in 29 percent of snaps so far in 2025, and Hawes and fullback Reggie Gilliam already logged 110 snaps. There has yet to be a single offensive play in 2025 without a tight end on the field.
Now with Kincaid and Hawes sharing snaps with Knox, the veteran said it's been a huge help in extending the longevity of his career. He signed an extension with the Bills in 2022 that will keep him with the team through the 2026 season. Currently in his seventh year, Knox plays about 50 percent of snaps.
Knox has 118 total receiving yards and one touchdown on nine catches so far in 2025. Over his career, he has 20 receptions for 2,395 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Even as a veteran, Knox isn't done learning from the others in the tight end room.
"A route runner, pass catcher, vertical to red, all of the above, even run option routes," Knox said of Kincaid's strengths. "Just seeing how his game has evolved over the last few years helps me too. How he sees coverages, how he sees different routes and footwork, different press coverage released that he has. It's fun to pick his brain on some of that route stuff, and he's also bought into the blocking game too. His perimeter blocking is as good as anybody."
In Kincaid's mind, though, it's all about doing whatever he can to help the team win. It's a sentiment the entire tight end room shares, taking an unselfish approach to the game and morphing into whatever role the offense needs in that moment — even if it means they don't touch the ball.
That's never a problem for the rookie. Blocking lets Hawes take advantage of his favorite part of the game, the violence of football, which earned him the "Ivy League meathead" description from Knox.
"You just don't see it that often because the college game is so much different than the NFL game, and it's very rare to have a tight end that comes out of college being able to block that well. Based on what I've seen, [Hawes is] the best blocking rookie that I've ever seen come into the NFL," Knox said. "It's not like he's 295 pounds; it's not like he's almost a left tackle. He's a 250-pound tight end that can also run routes and catch the ball. So that dynamic ability is something that's really awesome, and it's really fun to watch him."
Having tight ends who are eager to block helped elevate the Bills' offense overall as all three can be used in the pass game at any moment. Though Hawes isn't always the usual receiving target, it's not always a given that Buffalo has a run design up its sleeve when he's out on the field.
"You got to do everything on offense except the obvious, like passing and – I mean, shoot, sometimes you even get to run the ball … it's a good test of athletic ability," Hawes said. "And I feel like tight ends are just always like the glue of the offense and of the team, like the personalities are always really strong."
Hawes is especially focused on being the best teammate possible, embodying a "sponge" role as a rookie.
He came to Buffalo with his hood up and head down, ready to work. He left others, like Gilliam, wondering what's going on in his head. Slowly, he let his personality come out, but he's still sitting in his shell for the most part.
Trying to camouflage into the rest of the tight end room, though, isn't very possible with all the different characters in the mix.
One day while watching film, Knox and Gilliam recalled the rookie shouting "No!" seemingly out of nowhere. Neither remembered what elicited the reaction that confused the rest of the room.
"It was so out of character for him, but it was the right answer. We were like, 'Oh, Hawsie's here!'" Knox said. "That's that goofiness coming out, but I think as the season goes on and his career goes on, he'll continue to do a little bit more and more."
On the complete opposite side of the personality spectrum in the tight end room, there's not much more of Kincaid's personality to unveil. Whether he's making bird noises in the background or his self-made cubicle in the tight end room is all set up with a photo frame, fidget toys and candy bowl, Kincaid's personality is never hidden.
He's the tight end that never fails to make the others laugh and always uplifts the others in the room. With Kincaid around to pick his head and spirits back up, Hawes can never be too down in the dumps or allow a mistake to linger.
For Halloween, he got Hawes and tight end Keleki Latu to dress up as the Teletubbies. Kincaid dressed as Po in red, Hawes wore green for Dipsy and Latu took the purple costume as Tinky Winky. Out shopping for costumes with tackle Ryan Van Denmark, Kincaid instantly knew, "'It's perfect. We got our Teletubby bunch.'"
"He's definitely the clown of the room and we got to do things to keep him locked in," Gilliam said. "If you need a laugh, all you have to do is look at him. He doesn't have to say anything, but if you just look at him, you'll laugh."
Every moment, no matter how small, is something Kincaid isn't taking for granted and knows in the future he'll look back on and miss.
"All the time you spend with each other in meeting rooms and then eating meals and just out there on the practice field," Kincaid said. "Just the time you put in with each and every guy is just something you won't be able to get back."
Between all the dancing and celebrating on the field to all the antics off the field, Knox has still yet to see Kincaid's spike. He said his best friend on the Bills is more likely to launch the ball out into the crowd as far as he can, which Knox noted "isn't cheap, by the way. That'll cost several dollars if you do that."
That's when Knox takes on his role of being the voice of reason, or the "uncle," according to Gilliam. It's something Knox adopted and embraced. He said he enjoys giving back to the younger guys after experiencing the same when he first started his NFL career.
"Lee Smith, Tyler Croft in the tight end room … some of those vets [who] had such an incredible feel for the locker room and knowing how to help guys out. Jordan Poyer is still here, Micah Hyde. Guys like that [who] brought me along with them and showed me the way to do things," Knox said. "Those are things that I'll remember forever, and I think it's important to remember that you didn't get here by yourself. People helped you along the way."
If any of them have a question, whether it's related to football or not, Knox is there to help guide them. In meetings and at practice, he makes sure to cover all bases of the playbook, even the ones tight end coach Rob Boras doesn't get to.
"[Knox is] the best. He tells me what to look for in the games, personnel-wise and scheme-wise," Hawes said. "He helped me know what calls to make, and just little things that might not be covered in the meetings."
Both Knox and Kincaid lead Hawes by example. While watching film, including those from past years, Hawes sees what areas of his game needs to adjust from college. He said buys into everything, whether it's lessons, new technique or the Bills' overall culture.
Taking in as much information as possible is evident to the room. Gilliam said that knowing the playbook and adapting to the NFL offense and speed is where Hawes is growing the most throughout his first season.
As the rest of the room shows him the ropes, Hawes' elite blocking remains something they all learn from. Even Knox said he tries to implement Hawes' blocking techniques into his own game. They're also abilities Gilliam said is comparable to veteran players.
"We all get so excited for [Hawes] because he's such a strong-handed blocker. He's displacing men like he's been in the league for five, 10 years," Gilliam said. "To me, he's just another lineman … and, of course, he can run and move around and catch the ball as well too. So, he really brings that versatility to our offense."
In the pass game, Kincaid has nearly perfect chemistry with quarterback Josh Allen. After a standout rookie season and impressive start to his third year, Kincaid developed more as a blocker, becoming more dynamic on the field. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady said he's working on using Kincaid on the field where teams can't circle and pinpoint him as the receiving target anymore.
For Kincaid, he's more than happy to grow wherever he can to contribute to the team and help Buffalo win. Kincaid uses the competition and skill Hawes brings to the tight end room to improve his own game and continue being a multi-dimensional weapon on the field.
"Just the impact Hawes has had blocking is huge, especially coming in, seeing it in training camp, you knew he as capable, and it's just kind of awesome to see it translate over into a real game," Kincaid said. "I think anytime you get somebody new in the room who's competitive, I think it definitely pushes you to be a better version of yourself. I think really it's elevated everyone in the room."
Brady said Kincaid has a better understanding of how his opponents are playing him while out on the field, not just basing his decisions off film alone. His knowledge and understanding of the offense continue developing, which is something Brady is impressed by given the amount of situations the tight end room must be prepared for.
"All of those guys all contribute in the pass game. And then in the run game, we put those guys in so many tough situations especially in some of the 13 personnels, 22 personnels, that man, there's a lot of chess match with it of not knowing exactly how teams are going to play it … you put a lot on those guys' plates of figuring it out," Brady said. "They're such an intelligent group that they don't blink."
Against Kansas City in Week 9, the tight end room made up 149 of the total 273 pass yards. Kincaid was targeted six times, catching each pass and logging his second, 100-plus yard game in 2025. He also put the first score on the board for the Bills, finishing the first drive of the evening connecting with Allen as he headed into the end zone.
"I thought the tight ends, just in general [against the Chiefs] were outstanding," Brady said. "I thought all of them – I thought they were the players of the game. And [Kincaid] obviously was a huge piece of that."
While still in the beginnings of his career, Kincaid knows he's no longer the rookie or new guy in the tight end room. He said he works on developing into more of a mini vet, which isn't hard as he learned from the best.
"Since day one, [Knox has] just been an awesome mentor both on and off the field and someone I want to be," Kincaid said. "It's cool just to see him now becoming a dad and just how life works. He's just an awesome person and a great friend."
Off the field, the tight end room takes that time to grow their connection beyond football. Every week, they go to dinner to catch up with each other outside the walls of the facilities and locker room. As Kincaid grows into his new role, Knox slowly passes off the duties of scheduling these dinners to him.
"It's hard for me to herd the cats, try to get them to say [what day is] good or where they want to go," Knox said. "We're kind of in that transition period right now, giving [him] that responsibility."
At dinner, on the golf course or wherever the tight end room ends up in its free time, Knox, Kincaid and Hawes emphasize how important it is to them that they get to know each other as more than just Buffalo Bills tight ends.
Whether it's on or off the field, blocking or route running, a silly dance in the end zone or running around to "Mr. Brightside," all three bring something different to the tight end room.
"I love those guys, man. I'm so thankful for the men that they are. It makes it so easy for me as the vet to be able to hang out with them. I don't have to worry about them at all or what they're doing on or off the field," Knox said. "Just a bunch of great men. Really thankful that they're in our room."
