The Buffalo Bills endured yet another heartbreak after a 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos, elongating their wait for the first-ever Super Bowl. Now that the season is over, the General Manager Brandon Beane’s focus shifts entirely towards roster shuffling for 2026. But even before he and Sean McDermott could begin those discussions, a Bills defender delivered a blunt message.

“I told Beane that’s my first priority,” outside linebacker Shak Thompson said on his potential return. “But I’ll definitely weigh my options because I want to start. I know I’m a starter in this league,”

He’s not wrong in thinking that way. He deserves to be a starter in the NFL. After spending most of his career with the Carolina Panthers from 2015 through 2024, he signed with the Bills to add experience and stability. What he ended up doing was more than that.

In 12 games, he logged 36 solo tackles, 15 assists, and 16 stops, plus a sack and a forced fumble. His coverage grade came in at 70.2, which ranked 13th in the league. Beyond the numbers, there were moments where his physicality showed up in a way this defense needed.

You can look at that stat line and reasonably think it could’ve been better if he’d stayed healthy for the full season. That’s why it’s understandable that Thompson wants to see how things shake out.

If Buffalo makes moves at linebacker that push him into a secondary role, no one should be shocked if he looks elsewhere. He’s been clear: he likes Buffalo, but he wants to start.

Head coach Sean McDermott knows exactly who he’s dealing with. McDermott was Carolina’s defensive coordinator during Thompson’s first two seasons after the Panthers took him in the first round of the 2015 draft. Thompson also has a history with Bills linebackers coach Al Holcomb and Brandon Beane, both of whom were part of his early years in Carolina. They’ve seen the best version of him.

As for Thompson, he was a starter from Day 1 in Carolina and put together a strong run from 2019 through 2022, topping 100 tackles in each of those seasons before injuries began to slow him down. But those injuries are something to keep in mind when you’re talking contracts.

Before this year, Thompson played just six games across the previous two seasons, first breaking his ankle in 2023 and then tearing his Achilles in Week 4 the year after. That’s what makes this decision tricky for McDermott and Brandon Beane as they map out what comes next. But it’s not the only roster decision the Bills need to worry about.

Bills GM Brandon Beane faces roster reckoning

When the new league year opens in a little over three months, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is going to be staring at a long list of tough calls. A recent breakdown from Spotrac indicated that Buffalo is headed toward roughly $32 million in dead cap from bonuses already paid. That’s not exactly a solid footing as the 2026 league year approaches.

The leaguewide salary cap is projected to land just north of $300 million in 2026, and even with that bump, the Bills are still sitting about $3 million over the cap, per Spotrac. That’s not a spot any team wants to be in, especially before factoring in everything else on Brandon Beane’s plate. And there’s plenty more coming. He’s also looking at 16 unrestricted free agents.

It’s a long list.

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Wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Gabe Davis; left guard David Edwards; safeties Sam Franklin, Damar Hamlin, Jordan Poyer, and Darnell Savage Jr.; fullback Reggie Gilliam; corners Cameron Lewis and Tre’Davious White; D-linemen Phidarian Mathis and Jordan Phillips; kicker Matt Prater; linebacker Shaq Thompson; quarterback Mitchell Trubisky; and punter Mitch Wishnowsky.

All of them are set to hit the open market. For anyone who needs a refresher, an unrestricted free agent is a player with at least four accrued NFL seasons whose contract has expired. At that point, the team loses leverage. The player can talk to whoever they want and sign wherever they want, and the original club can’t stop it.

There are more financial concerns.

Linebacker Matt Milano’s void year will hit the cap for more than $11 million. Edge rusher Joey Bosa’s void year adds another $7.2 million in 2026. Center Connor McGovern ($4.8 million), defensive tackle DaQuan Jones ($3.7 million), edge rusher A.J. Epenesa ($2.86 million), and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi ($2.57 million) all have void years coming as well.

Put it all together, and it’s clear this is shaping up to be a long, grinding offseason in Buffalo. This year’s roster never quite came together the way it was supposed to, especially on offense, where the receiving group never lived up to expectations. Now, with cap pressure coming from every direction, Beane has his work cut out for him as he tries to reset things for next season.