The Buffalo Bills are set to release cornerback Taron Johnson. The Bills are currently more than $31MM over the cap, leading to this decision.
Johnson’s Contract and Potential Cap Savings
Johnson was tied to a three-year, $30.75MM contract, with two years remaining on the deal. The release is not slated to produce much in the way of cap savings unless Buffalo designates Johnson as a post-June 1 cut.
A post-June 1 designation would save the Bills $8.67MM in 2026 cap space. Otherwise, the club would save less than $2MM this year and incur more than $8MM in dead money. Teams are allowed two post-June 1 designations annually.
Changes in Defensive System
The Bills used the same defensive system throughout Johnson’s tenure. However, with Sean McDermott being fired and Jim Leonhard coming in as DC, a big change is on tap.
Buffalo will be expected to deploy Christian Benford and 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston as its boundary starters, but a hole now exists in the slot.
Johnson’s Tenure with the Bills
Johnson, 29, started 87 games with the Bills and had played at least 74% of the team’s defensive snaps since the 2020 season. The 2018 fourth-round pick signed a three-year, $24MM extension in 2021 and topped Kenny Moore‘s then-slot-record deal in 2024.
That pact has since been surpassed, but Johnson will be an interesting free agent after being tied to an eight-figure AAV for the past two seasons.
They are cutting cornerback Taron Johnson, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.