Bills Offseason Update: Week of July 20

Opening

The countdown to training camp is officially on. With Joe Brady entering his first summer as head coach and a brand-new Highmark Stadium rising across Abbott Road, this offseason has carried a different energy than years past. As Buffalo prepares to open training camp at St. John Fisher University, the roster is largely set, the coaching staff is in place, and all eyes are turning toward position battles that could shape the Bills' championship chase in 2026.

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A New Era Under Joe Brady

The biggest storyline entering camp remains the full transition to the Brady era. Following their defeat in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott, and on January 27, 2026, the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to be the team's replacement.

Brady currently ranks as the youngest NFL coach going into 2026 at 36 years old. Players have noticed the shift in atmosphere. Running back James Cook put it plainly, telling NFL Network's Good Morning Football that "it's just a new energy in the building. It's going to always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in — a young one, too, at that. I mean, Joe's a young head coach coming in, his first year being a head coach."

New Highmark Stadium Nears the Finish Line

Construction on the $2.1 billion New Highmark Stadium is in its final stretch, and the biggest talking point remains the playing surface. The new stadium features a natural grass field — a change from the turf the team previously played on — with underground heating coils to prevent the grass from freezing and grow lights to have optimal conditions year-round. According to stadium officials, "one quarter of 1%" of the work is left to complete . Quarterback Josh Allen has been vocal about his excitement for the switch, saying simply on The Pat McAfee Show, "We're grass, brother. We were told about it. We like grass."

Training Camp Set to Open at St. John Fisher

Camp is set to kick off in Rochester once again, continuing a long-standing tradition. Buffalo has signed a three-year extension with St. John Fisher to host training camp in Rochester from 2026-28. One of the top storylines heading into camp will be the wide receiver room, where the fight to become the team's third wide receiver on the depth chart looms as one of the most important positional battles, with D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir, as well as tight end Dalton Kincaid, presumably locking in as the top-three options for Allen.

Quick Hits

• Dalton Kincaid's contract situation remains unresolved heading into camp, though as the No. 25 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he has this season and a fifth-year extension left on his rookie deal, meaning the Bills can pay him $4.2 million this season and $8.1 million next season.

• Joshua Palmer enters a pivotal camp after an injury-riddled 2025. Palmer finished the 2025 season with 22 receptions for 303 yards and zero touchdowns while appearing in 12 games , and with new weapons added to the corps, his roster spot is no longer guaranteed.

• Fans can circle August 8 on the calendar — the first public event held at the new stadium will be the team's "Return of the Blue & Red" training camp practice on the evening of Aug. 8.

Roster Watch

The safety room remains a key area to monitor. Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson will walk into training camp as the unquestioned starters at safety. Gardner-Johnson, brought in on a one-year deal, is looking to bring stability after a well-traveled career — a proven ball hawk with 20 interceptions in seven seasons, though his loud, fiery personality isn't for everyone, and he's already on his seventh organization. He's embracing the new pairing, saying of Bishop, "It's going to be great. I feel [like it's] going to be a great duo … just feeding off each other, ready to make plays. And really, I think we're going to drive the defense to do what we want to do: take the ball away and play aggressive, over the top." Bishop, however, enters camp coming off an offseason knee procedure that caused him to miss all of OTAs and minicamp, though he says he will be ready for training camp.

Looking Ahead

With camp opening in Rochester next week, expect padded practices to quickly sort out the receiver depth chart battle behind Moore and Shakir, along with continued updates on Bishop's knee and Kincaid's contract talks. All roads lead to August 8, when Bills Mafia gets its first look at the team inside the new Highmark Stadium — a fitting bridge between the franchise's storied past and the high expectations of the Joe Brady era.