Taron Johnson
Getty
Former Bills cornerback Taron Johnson was cut after eight years in Buffalo.
The Buffalo Bills wasted no time in making splashy moves this offseason.
After once again failing to reach the Super Bowl, they fired head coach Sean McDermott, who famously ended the Bills’ 17-year playoff drought and led Buffalo to five consecutive AFC East titles.
The Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach, added veteran Pete Carmichael as their new offensive coordinator, and former Bills safety Jim Leonhard as defensive coordinator.
With the start of free agency around the corner, the Bills also need to clear some cap space, especially after making a trade for wide receiver DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears. Moore is due $23.485 million in 2026. Spotrac posted, “Buffalo can process a full salary conversion on D.J. Moore upon acquiring him, lowering his cap hit to $6.75M in 2026, creating $17.7M of space.”
While Bills general manager Brandon Beane is expected to restructure Josh Allen’s contract to clear more space, he pulled the trigger on several cuts on March 6. Buffalo released wide receiver Curtis Samuel, cornerback Dane Jackson, safety Taylor Rapp, and nickel corner Taron Johnson.
Johnson has been one of the key pieces of Buffalo’s defense for eight years, making for a tough goodbye.
Taron Johnson Shared a Simple Heart Emoji After His Release From the Bills
Johnson kept his message to Bills Mafia brief upon his release. The 29-year-old didn’t share any words; however, he posted a 2024 highlight reel and shared a simple red-heart emoji on his Instagram Stories.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Johnson signed a three-year, $30.75 million extension in Buffalo. The new deal came after the Bills’ fourth-round pick from the 2018 NFL draft earned season-team All-Pro honors.
He had registered a career-high 98 total tackles, 8.0 passes defensed, 3.0 forced fumbles, and 1.0 fumble recovery. In two playoff games, he added another 8 total tackles and 1 forced fumble. Johnson was on the field for 89% of the team’s defensive snaps, per Pro Football Talk.
In 2024, he appeared in just 12 regular-season games, recording 65 total tackles, 2.0 interceptions, including a pick-six, 5.0 passes defensed, and 1.0 fumble recovery for a touchdown. Johnson’s production dipped in 2025. He appeared in 13 games, recording a total of 57 tackles and 4.0 passes defensed.
Bills Defensive Coordinator Spoke About Taron Johnson Switching Positions Before His Release
Taron Johnson
GettyTaron Johnson exits Buffalo after eight years.
While Johnson is still one of the best nickel corners in the league, with Leonard as defensive coordinator, the Bills are shifting from a 4-3 base to a 3-4, which does not typically feature a nickel corner.
Leonhard discussed switching Johnson’s role on the team, which made his ultimate release a bit of a surprise.
“He knows that we’re going to communicate with him and find out what’s right because he’s been an extremely productive player in the NFL,” Leonhard said, per ESPN, “and now it’s trying to find out what the best match of some of the things that I’ve done in the past and what they did really well to feature a player like that.”
However, finances also played a role. By releasing Johnson, the Bills save about $6 million in cap space.