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The Buffalo Bills parted ways with head coach Sean McDermott this offseason after seven consecutive seasons of double-digit wins. Although expectations for the organization clearly have not been met, it appears that some in the league believe things will not get better any time soon.

Speaking to Mike Sandow of The Athletic, an NFL executive shared his belief that the Bills’ window as a Super Bowl contender in the AFC has closed. This is despite the expected regression from the New England Patriots and the AFC seemingly being “down” right now.

“I think Buffalo’s window is closed.”

Unnamed NFL executive on Buffalo Bills entering 2026 season

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In 2025, Buffalo tied for the fourth-most wins in the AFC and then reached the divisional round, but lost in overtime. This led to head coach Sean McDermott being fired, general manager Brandon Beane being promoted to president of football operations and offensive coordinator Joe Brady being named head coach.

The Bills front office responded to that disappointment in 2025 by adding safety Geno Stone, nickel C.J. Gardner-Johnson and edge rusher Bradley Chubb to bolster the defense. Equally important, Buffalo traded for wide receiver DJ Moore to provide Allen with an effective offensive weapon.

It’s fair to assume that the Kansas City Chiefs will bounce back in 2026 with the return of Patrick Mahomes and the signing of Kenneth Walker. Elsewhere in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals look better on paper next season.

One reason some around the league are skeptical of the Bills’ approach may have something to do with the team’s draft class. Beane traded downs twice in Round 1 and, in a class that was considered unusually weak, there were some questions whether the team had taken the right approach.

NFL officials skeptical of Buffalo Bills draft strategy

Another executive questioned the Bills’ strategy in the 2026 NFL Draft. While President of Football Operations Brandon Beane received much praise from analysts for trading down multiple times, an analytics-approved strategy, some around the league were not as keen on this specific draft reason.

One executive said, “You get an advantage from the guys who pick you, whether it’s third or fourth or something later, they weren’t going to give you any (good) player in this draft.”

The Athletic’s NFL executive trading down on the Buffalo Bills draft class

This was not the only opinion that expressed doubt as to whether this is the right year to trade up multiple times and collect large amounts of Day 3 draft capital. Another NFL executive told Sandow that it was a “weird draft” because the class was “terrible at the top and terrible at the bottom.”

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However, as some of Beane’s teammates in front offices around the league pointed out, a weak 2026 NFL Draft class actually made it, so there was no “right” strategy to take. Beane setting himself up to take multiple swings may prove to be the best approach as it at least gives him a chance to take more swings at different players who may strike out.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

After being selected with the 144th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft last year, Cleveland Browns quarterback Chedure Sanders finally earned the starting job and was selected to the Pro Bowl. However, recent comments from the front office suggest it could be an uphill battle to reclaim the starting job in 2026.

Speaking to reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said it is “completely realistic” that the club will spend one of its picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on a quarterback.

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“Our inclination would be that if we add somebody to the quarterback room, it would be somebody that’s probably a young player. But I can’t tell for sure because I don’t know what happens over the next few weeks.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry on potentially adding a QB

He also acknowledged that he has met with former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson and would like to spend more time meeting who many view as the second-best passer in the class.

Some believe Simpson will be a first-round pick in April. There is a possibility he could be available to Cleveland with the 24th overall pick, which they acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars, or they could move up from Round 2 (39th overall) to the end of Round 1 to try to land Simpson.

RELATED: Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

One thing Berry made very clear is that whichever young quarterback Cleveland brings in, he will “compete” for the starting job. If the Browns see someone whose skill set translates immediately to playing in Todd Monken’s offense, they are willing to draft him and allow him to compete for the starting quarterback in 2026.

This isn’t the only bad sign for Sanders’ hopes of becoming the Browns’ starting quarterback this season. If Berry proves himself performance-wise and outperforms Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, Berry would not rule out signing Deshaun Watson to a new deal.

While Sanders finished ahead of Gabriel on the Browns’ depth chart at the end of the season, a change at guard looks very likely. Watson will be given a real chance to earn the job, and it now seems plausible that another young quarterback could be added through the 2026 NFL Draft.

Just two months after Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl and a few weeks after his connection with Monken, it seems likely the second-year quarterback won’t see much of the field this fall.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The San Francisco 49ers have been busy adding impact players on both sides of the ball this offseason. On offense, potential future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans is the headliner. On defense, it’s Osa Odighizuwa, an $80 million defensive tackle.

Still, rumors have continued to link the 49ers to an even bigger addition on defense. Then what is the hindrance?

On Sunday, 49ers general manager John Lynch addressed popular rumors of the 49ers signing Joey Bosa to pair with his brother, Nick, in San Francisco. Only, the GM suggests the 49ers may not be able to afford him.

“I know Mama Bosa would love it, but I don’t know if we can afford it,” Lynch said, via Matt Barrows of TheAthletic.com.

It is not known what the asking price of Bosa is in the open market. However since he is unsigned and not officially linked to any team other than the 49ers, it’s possible his agent is asking for too much. In fact, Lynch’s comments may have been his attempt to take down Bosa’s market. Whether or not this will actually work remains to be seen, but it never hurts to try.

Bosa, 30, spent last season with the Bills, where he recorded five sacks and an NFL-high five forced fumbles in 15 starts. He hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2021, yet he achieved Pro Bowl status in 2024, his final season with the Chargers.

With 77 sacks in 10 seasons, it shouldn’t take long for Bosa to find another opportunity. But as Lynch indicated, he may have to lower his asking price first.

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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ