09/03/2026
The Bills enter 2026 after a 12-5 season that was much more inconsistent than the record might suggest.
Buffalo lost control of the AFC East for the first time since 2019, with New England taking the division, and although the Bills beat Jacksonville in the Wild Card Round, another playoff run ended in the Divisional Round against Denver.
Now Joe Brady takes over as head coach, and the transition into a new era also comes with changes to a defense that has already lost some familiar faces from last season.
Here were the Bills' total tackles leaders during the 2025 season:
π Cole Bishop β 85 tackles (53 solo)
β€οΈ Jordan Poyer β 70 tackles (31 solo)
π Matt Milano β 67 tackles (36 solo)
β€οΈ Terrel Bernard β 65 tackles (44 solo)
π Dorian Williams β 63 tackles (29 solo)
β€οΈ Taron Johnson β 57 tackles (34 solo)
π Shaq Thompson β 56 tackles (33 solo)
β€οΈ Greg Rousseau β 46 tackles (24 solo)
π Christian Benford β 43 tackles (32 solo)
Cole Bishop led Buffalo with 85 total tackles and 53 solo stops, while Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams also finished inside the top five. All three remain important pieces as the Bills move into 2026.
But three other players from the top six are no longer part of the current group. Taron Johnson was traded, while Jordan Poyer and Matt Milano remain free agents.
Shaq Thompson had also entered the offseason as a free agent, but his story took a different turn. He recently returned to Buffalo on the practice squad, keeping the veteran linebacker in the organization as the season approaches.
With Bishop, Bernard, Greg Rousseau and Christian Benford among the returning pieces, Buffalo will now try to find the right mix for a defense that will play an important role in what comes next under Brady.
After losing their grip on the AFC East and once again falling short in January, can the Bills respond and reestablish themselves among the AFC's top contenders in 2026?
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