The Buffalo Bills continue locking up their young core players with long-term contract extensions this off-season.
The Bills have signed defensive end Greg Rousseau and long snapper Reid Ferguson to a four year contract extensions. This comes after the team locked up linebacker Terrel Bernard and wide receiver Khalil Shakir.
Last season, Rousseau led Buffalo with 8 sacks, tying a career high. He had career highs production in 2024, including 24 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, 36 solo tackles and three forced fumbles.
He was heading into the final year of his contract, but decided to stay with the Bills for the long haul rather than possibly testing the open market after next season.
"My heart’s been here since 2021. I didn’t really want to go anywhere else. We have a lot of great guys on our team. Our defense, our d-line, we’re really tight. I’m just excited to get back to dudes like Ed, DQ, AJ. It’s a blessing to be around guys like that. It’s not like everywhere, so I was just ready to get back," Rousseau said.
After being drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Rousseau leads the team with 25 career sacks. In four seasons, he has started 62 games and racked up 25 sacks, 66 quarterback hits, 47 tackles for loss, 182 tackles, 15 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Ferguson has been a member of the Bills since 2016 after he signed as a rookie free agent out of LSU. He was on the practice squad in 2016, then has gone on to play in every regular season game the last eight seasons and added 13 postseason games. The contract extension will keep him in Buffalo through 2029.
He’s happy to call Western New York his home base and would like to end his career with the Bills.
"That definitely played a part. We love Buffalo. I always joke with people I’ve got a snowblower. I feel like I’m up here more than I’m anywhere else throughout the year. I definitely consider myself, this is home," Ferguson said.
The signings come with the five-time defending AFC East champions projected to have plenty of salary cap space in 2026. The team, however, will be limited under the cap entering the league’s new year, which opens Wednesday.
Buffalo was projected to be about $8.5 million over the cap after cutting punter Sam Martin on Thursday. The constraints could limit Buffalo’s ability to re-sign several pending unrestricted free agents, including starting cornerback Rasul Douglas and starting safety Damar Hamlin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report