Bills' offseason checklist: Stand up for the 'tush push'

Getting Rousseau under contract early could save the team millions in the future, so general manager Brandon Beane should prioritize this.

2. Release LB Von Miller or renegotiate his contract

Miller had 14 sacks in 37 games over the past three seasons but none in the team’s five postseason games. The future Hall of Famer took a substantial pay cut in 2024. Unless he agrees to renegotiate the $23.8M he’s due in 2025, Buffalo would be better off saving $17.4M as the team is already $14.5M over next season’s salary cap.

3. Extend RB James Cook

Cook led the AFC with 18 touchdowns last season and would like an increase on the $5.8M he’s set to earn next season. “I just feel like we’re deserving of it. Like, why not?” While appearing on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, Cook said, “We work all of our life to get paid. Feed me the big bucks.”

Earlier this month, he went live on his Instagram and pinned his own comment, saying, "15 mill year," per the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Cook is currently the 37th-highest-paid running back in the NFL. He may not see $15M, but expect the team to increase his salary.

4. Restructure QB Josh Allen’s contract

Allen signed a $258M contract extension in 2021, but Sports Illustrated’s Ronnie Eastham said the Bills could nearly balance their entire cap and save $11M by restructuring the deal. Allen is currently the sixth-highest-paid player in the NFL and carries cap hits of $44M in 2025 and $63M in 2026.

It wouldn’t be the first time Allen had his contract restructured. In 2023, he converted $26.42M of his salary into a signing bonus, clearing $21M of cap space and reworking $14.8M of last year’s salary to save the team $16.7M against the cap.

5. Stand up for the “tush push”

On Tuesday, Packers general manager Brian Gutenkust confirmed that his team proposed a rule change to ban Philadelphia's signature short-yardage play. Even Bills head coach Sean McDermott is against it, telling reporters, “There has always been an injury risk with that play, and I’ve expressed that opinion for the last couple of years.”

McDermott should speak with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, as Buffalo often runs the play. According to ESPN, the Bills and Eagles have scored a touchdown or gained a first down on 87% of their attempts using the play, while the rest of the NFL has been successful just 71% of the time.

If the proposal goes to a vote, 24 of the NFL's 32 owners would have to vote in favor of banning it.