4 Bills Had 2026 Contract Guarantees Kick In This Week

Every February, there’s some quiet time in the NFL calendar…but there is still plenty going on behind the scenes on the business side of things. This week, per Spotrac, four members of the Buffalo Bills officially saw future money become fully guaranteed.

Let’s unpack what it means.

WR Khalil Shakir

Shakir’s $11.9 million base salary for 2026 is now fully guaranteed.

A former fifth-round pick, Khalil has grown from role player into one of Josh Allen’s most trusted targets. The guarantee makes him effectively roster-safe for 2026, not that anyone really questioned that. Structurally, it signals Buffalo has viewed him as part of its offensive core, not just a short-term piece.

LB Terrel Bernard

Bernard’s $8.9 million 2026 salary is now guaranteed.

After stepping into the MIKE role on defense in 2024 and thriving, Bernard’s importance to the defense was never really in question. The guaranteed money reinforced stability in the middle of the defense. Even though 2025 was not a good season for Bernard as he was riddled with injuries, it’s safe to say tha Bernard’s guarantee cements him as a piece in 2026. 

CB Christian Benford

Benford’s $14.5 million 2026 salary is guaranteed, along with $2.5 million of his 2027 salary.

This is the biggest financial shift of the group. The partial 2027 guarantee is particularly notable. For a player who has developed into a high-level boundary corner, the Bills clearly bet on sustained performance.

RB James Cook

Cook’s $9.4 million 2026 salary is now guaranteed.

Running back guarantees always raise eyebrows. But no one on the Bills offense (not named Josh Allen) deserves his entire salary guaranteed more than James Cook, who has become one of the league’s more dynamic dual-threat backs and a huge part of the Bills offensive identity.

What do these salary guarantees mean for the Bills in 2026?

Collectively, these guarantees tighten Buffalo’s 2026 cap flexibility (not that there is currently any cap space to be flexible with). These contracts were made last year as firm commitments towards the future of the organization, doubling down on continuity. The Bills plan was to always build around their draftees; Shakir, Bernard, Benford, Cook. 

Draft, develop, extend, commit. The Bills are now firmly in the commitment stage and hopeful that the player’s production in 2026 is inline with their guaranteed money.