Up late determining his 2024 employment plan, DaQuan Jones does not intend to leave Buffalo. The veteran defensive tackle will recommit to the Bills on a two-year deal, according to his agency (Instagram link).
The Bills will give the 11th-year D-lineman a $10.5M guaranteed on a contract that includes $16M in total. Jones returned from a torn pectoral muscle late in the season and was off to a strong start before the October injury threw his second Buffalo slate off track.
A quality run-stuffing DT, Jones will receive almost the same amount of guarantees the Bills provided back in 2022. They gave the former Titans starter $10.6M guaranteed two years ago. Despite Jones now set for his age-32 season, Buffalo saw enough over his two-year stay to reinvest.
Prior to going down in Week 5 — a rather disastrous outing for the Bills, who lost Matt Milano for the season in London as well — Jones rated third among DTs, per Pro Football Focus. He landed 20th among DTs in 2022. Despite suffering a torn pec, the 320-pound defender made it back in time for the team’s Week 17 game and then the playoffs. That may have gone a ways within the organization, though the Bills came into free agency with next to nothing in place at D-tackle.
Jones, who started 16 games for the Bills in 2022, has lined up as a first-stringer — in Tennessee, Carolina and Buffalo — 133 times. The Bills have at least one non-Ed Oliver answer at DT now; they need more. Tim Settle, Jordan Phillips and Poona Ford are unsigned for the 2024 season. Despite the Bills saying goodbye to longtime starters Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White and Mitch Morse, they will be keeping a 30-something regular in the fold.
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