Buffalo Bills lineman Alec Anderson celebrates.
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Alec Anderson will be back with the Buffalo Bills in 2026.
The Buffalo Bills have already had a headline-making offseason, firing nine-year head coach Sean McDermott and replacing him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady — followed by a series of coaching staff hires. They also signed 11 players to reserve/future contracts, and now face decisions on whether to re-sign at least five key defensive players who are eligible for free agency.
But on Friday, the Bills made a quiet move that will make future Hall of Fame quarterback Josh Allen happy, as the Bills gear up for another run at their first Super Bowl since 1993. They re-signed an offensive lineman who is not only one of the most reliable players on the Bills, appearing in every game last season, but also one of the “nastiest,” according to Allen himself.
According to a report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “The Bills have re-signed key reserve offensive lineman Alec Anderson, who played in every game last year and started six times over two seasons, per agent Sam Leaf Ireifej.”
Rapoport reported that the Bills brought the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Anderson, who had been a restricted free agent, back to Buffalo on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Josh Allen Praises Anderson
Anderson was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent from UCLA in 2022. After two years on the Buffalo practice squad, Anderson broke through and made the active roster in 2024.
Since then, Anderson played in all 42 games for the Bills, including playoffs, over the last two seasons, getting the start in six — and catching the notice of Allen, the Bills franchise player.
“Just a guy that’s really tough, he’s dependable,” Allen said of Anderson back in 2024, as quoted by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “He does all the little things the right way. He’s one of the dirty guys — not dirty, but nastier guys that we got on offense that you love to have, one of those guys that just grinds and he’s not afraid to stick up for his teammates. The dude’s a warrior.”
Anderson Named ‘Best Sixth Lineman’ in NFL
Allen has not been the only football authority to hand out high praise for the backup lineman. ESPN.com NFL analyst Bill Barnwell selected Anderson as his choice for Best Sixth offensive lineman in the league.
“While the Bills used David Edwards in this role before he moved into the starting lineup in 2024, Anderson has taken it to another level,” Barnwell wrote. “Brady carved out a regular role for Anderson immediately, as he averaged 14 snaps per game.”
According to Barnwell’s analysis, the swing tackle excels at “protecting Allen on the edge,” adding that “being able to rely on Anderson as a solid pass blocker allows the Bills to take shots downfield out of those jumbo packages, which then scares defenses into protecting against the deep passing attack and creates softer boxes for Allen and James Cook in the run game.”
Inspiring Personal Story
While backup offensive linemen tend to get the short end of the publicity stick in the NFL, Anderson comes with an inspirational story. The son of history teachers, the well-spoken Anderson has overcome ADHD with the help of sports.
“He is a smart kid, but he was not meant to sit at a desk for six hours a day,” his mother Chrissy said in a December interview with the Niagara Gazette. “That is what I was very firm about.”
While Anderson may not have been drafted out of UCLA, he did graduate the prestigious university with a degree in history.