ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Dalton Kincaid and his family were thrilled to learn the Buffalo Bills will play in his hometown on his birthday.Now, he needs to stay healthy long enough to enjoy it.After a fine rookie campaign, Kincaid’s next two seasons were pockmarked by left knee and hamstring injuries. Even when the dynamic tight end was healthy enough to dress, he saw limited action last year, starting four games and playing a career-low 38 percent of his available offensive snaps.For the second straight offseason, Kincaid declined to have surgery on his knee. Bills football boss Brandon Beane and new head coach Joe Brady have pondered load management because Kincaid’s continued availability will be critical — not only on Oct. 28 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but for the Bills’ long-term 2026 success.Kincaid likes his chances.“I’d say it’s probably the best I’ve felt in my career at this point in the year,” Kincaid said after Tuesday’s voluntary workout at One Bills Drive. “Just not having those thoughts of the knee, especially last year. At this point, I feel really good. I’m not even thinking about it out there.”Buffalo’s offense is noticeably better with Kincaid on the field.The kid from Sin City looked like a winner from the first pull, gaining 777 receiving yards with three TDs as a rookie. But the payouts have dwindled each season since.Fewer snaps. Fewer catches. But the promise of a jackpot always remained.Although he played a dozen regular-season games last year, Kincaid scored a career-high five touchdowns and added two more TDs in the playoffs. He dropped one pass the entire campaign after amassing eight the season before, including the season-ending, fourth-down groaner against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.That his hands nevertheless improved while hobbled might be a harbinger for what the total package can become if Kincaid avoids the injury report.That potential is why the Bills chose to exercise the fifth-year option from his rookie contract despite recurring medical frustrations.“Dalton did everything he needed to do last offseason,” Brady said. “Part of it was just trying to get a feel of how he was going to play with some of the injuries and kind of going through it. There was no situation last year where he was just, like, ‘Man, I just don’t want to play.’ He’s as competitive as it freaking gets.“But this offseason, it was cool to see him come back, and he looks bigger.”Kincaid’s fourth NFL season presents his best opportunity to cement himself among the NFL’s top tight ends.Rookies have inherent onboarding challenges. After his sophomore season, Beane and previous coach Sean McDermott criticized Kincaid for not properly preparing himself for the rigors of a full schedule. The durability problems carried over into 2025 as Kincaid struggled to find stability.“He looks really fresh,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. “He’s moving really well. He’s such an integral part of our offense. We know that. I think everybody knows that, and when he’s on the field, we’re a better team. It’s been great to have him back, moving at full health and just excited to continue to progress with him.”Many who saw the BuffaloBills.com video of their annual tug-of-war, team-building exercise remarked it was encouraging that Kincaid was not wearing a compression sleeve on his left leg. But he didn’t feel the need to protect his knee during the previous three tugs-of-war either. So, let’s not read too much into that.What had Kincaid pumped was that he was his crew’s anchor — and it went undefeated.“The knee felt really good,” said Kincaid, “and I think that was a pretty good test for it.”Can Kincaid pull his weight for a full season?October is a long way off, but if Kincaid reaches his birthday in Las Vegas with his health and status restored, then the Bills probably will look like safe bets to return to their position atop the AFC East.May 21, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms