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The Buffalo Bills may have just faced a setback in their quest to find a new No. 1 receiver for Josh Allen.
After a 2025 season where the team’s wide receivers struggled to bring consistent production, many analysts predicted the Bills would take a big swing at finding a new No. 1 target for Allen. The team has been connected to some big names including Justin Jefferson, but one potential star appears to be off the market.
Bills Lose Out on Potential Star
The Dallas Cowboys offered wide receiver George Pickens a franchise tag, which would pay him $27.2 million for the 2026 season.
The move likely takes Pickens off the market, which could mean one fewer option for the Bills. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox had previously suggested that Pickens could be a trade target for the Bills, offering the missing piece for the offense.
“The Buffalo Bills came close to beating the Denver Broncos and advancing to the AFC title game. Had the Bills’ receiving corps come up with one more big play, they might have advanced,” Knox wrote. “Buffalo has an elite quarterback in Josh Allen, but it lacks a true go-to, No. 1 receiver. Pickens, who racked up 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns this past season, could fill that role extremely well.”
Pickens is coming off a career-best season with the Dallas Cowboys, making 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns — all career highs. The Bills, by contrast, struggled to get consistent production from their wide receivers and saw veteran Brandin Cooks end the season as the top target despite only coming off the waiver wire in December.
Another Target for the Bills
The Bills could still have some options if they want to upgrade their wide receiver room. Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports suggested the team could swing another trade with the Minnesota Vikings, landing Justin Jefferson close to six years after the trade that sent Stefon Diggs to Buffalo.
Dajani noted that Jefferson has a history with new Bills head coach Joe Brady, who was a coach on LSU’s staff when Jefferson was a star receiver there.
“Joe Brady’s name popped up on NFL radars in 2019, when he served as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at LSU,” Dajani wrote. “The undefeated Tigers had a historical season, which was powered by the play of Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Now, he’s the head coach of the Bills, and this offseason, Buffalo makes an aggressive move to pair its new coach with a friend of his — sending the Minnesota Vikings a package of picks for Jefferson.”
The Bills have been connected to some other top receivers, including former Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, who was released by Miami in a cap-cutting move. Hill would give the Bills the speed and deep threat they’ve been missing since Diggs left, but he ended the season with a devastating leg injury that could impact him in 2026.
The Bills could also use one of their early draft picks to replenish the wide receiving corps.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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