Ex-Bills TE Waived By AFC Rival Before Training Camp

The Buffalo Bills could have a new option for depth at tight end after a former member of the practice squad was cut loose by his new team.

The Cleveland Browns announced on June that they waived tight end Tre’ McKitty, who spent time with the Bills last season and provided some depth on the practice squad. The former third-round pick has struggled to reach his potential in the NFL, but could have another opportunity in Buffalo if the team looks for depth leading into training camp.

Bills Signed Tre’ McKitty for Several Stints

McKitty came into the NFL as a third-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021, but struggled to make an impact. Through three seasons he appeared in 34 games, making 16 receptions for 117 yards and no touchdowns.

The Chargers waived McKitty during the 2023 season and the Bills moved quickly, signing him to the practice squad days later. McKitty then returned to the Bills with a reserve/futures contract in January 2024, spending that offseason with the team but being released at the team’s final cuts in August.

He returned later in the 2024 season after tight end Dalton Kincaid suffered an injury and the team needed depth at the position. The Bills announced on November 7 that they signed McKitty to the practice squad while releasing tight end Joel Wilson.

McKitty was never elevated to the active roster. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the Browns in January, but didn’t make it to training camp as the team waived him this week.

The team has already added some depth to its tight end room this offseason. While the Bills focused mostly on their defense in this year’s NFL draft, they also used a fifth-round pick on tight end Jackson Hawes.

Bills Want to See Improvement From Another Tight End

While McKitty could be a strong candidate to return to the Bills before training camp and once again vie for a spot on the practice squad, the team is looking to another tight end to step up in the 2025 season.

The Bills traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to land Kincaid, and he had a strong start in his rookie season with 73 catches for 673 yards and two touchdowns. But Kincaid took a step back in 2024 while dealing with a string of injuries, making just 44 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns.

In his year-end press conference, Bills general manager Beane said Kincaid “didn’t have the year that he expected or we expected” and warned he would need to put in more work during the offseason. Beane added that Kincaid would need to “continue to work on his play strength” in order to gain more durability and resistance to injury.

But Beane added that the team still had faith in Kincaid despite his struggles in 2024 and a critical drop late in the team’s AFC Championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We believe in Dalton and Dalton is a big part in our plans going forward,” Beane said. “No one in here has lost confidence in him.”

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