Taron Johnson grew into the best nickel cornerback in football with the Buffalo Bills.
Now, he's no longer going to play for the Bills.
The Bills plan to release Johnson, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Friday.
Johnson was originally a fourth-round pick by the Bills in 2018 out of Weber State.
He played eight years with Buffalo, starting 87 of his 113 games.
He made 572 tackles and six interceptions while forcing eight fumbles and totaling eight sacks.
Johnson had seasons with 98, 94 and 90 tackles among his big campaigns in growing into a star.
In 2025, he played 13 games and had 57 tackles with four passes defensed and no interceptions.
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Why did the Bills release Taron Johnson?
The reason given by Ian Rapoport is scheme.
"Makes sense with the new defensive scheme," Rapoport wrote on X.
That's probably not the only thing at play here, though.
The Bills are up against it in the salary department, and cutting Johnson loose frees up some space.
He also regressed in a major way in 2025. He was hurt some, but even when healthy, he was nowhere near the level of player he once was.
Johnson should get a deal elsewhere this offseason, but he'll no longer play for the Bills.
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