Aaron Rodgers labeled Taron Johnson as one of the most underrated players in the NFL, but the Buffalo Bills decided to release the veteran cornerback after a defensive change
11:58 ET, 07 Mar 2026
The Buffalo Bills have released veteran cornerback Taron Johnson
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The Buffalo Bills have released veteran cornerback Taron Johnson(Image: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills have released former All-Pro cornerback Taron Johnson, a veteran who was described as one of the most "underrated" players in the league by four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
The Bills are making several personnel changes ahead of the 2026 season, both on the roster and to the coaching staff. Sean McDermott was fired at the end of last season and replaced by offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who has hired three new coordinators.
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Quarterback Josh Allen has already been handed a new offensive weapon after the Bills finalized a trade with the Chicago Bears for wide receiver DJ Moore. However, to balance the books, the Bills have released four players, including Johnson.
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The Bills announced Friday that they have released Johnson, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, safety Taylor Rapp, and cornerback Dane Jackson. The releases have freed up $12 million in cap space, though Johnson was only responsible for $1.9 million of that total.
Following his release, Rodgers spoke about Johnson during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and praised the veteran nickel cornerback. Rodgers has yet to confirm whether he will return to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026, but if he does, he has hinted that Johnson should be picked up.
"Taron Johnson is one of the best players in the league, and one of the most underrated players, I think, for whatever reason," Rodgers said. "He can play a box linebacker and stop the run, and he can cover guys.
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"Because of that, and their willingness to play nickel versus any personnel group, I think some of the responses, and definitely in Pittsburgh for us, as you see more teams doing that... we kind of roll it out."
Johnson became a key player under McDermott, but the major changes to the coaching staff have led to a new shift in direction. The Bills hired Jim Leonhard as the new defensive coordinator, who is expected to change the approach in Buffalo.
Since 2020, no team has played more nickel than the Bills, which helped Johnson become a regular starter. However, the timing of the decision has confused fans after Leonhard suggested that Johnson will still play a key role in his defense.
Jim Leonhard was hired as the new defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills
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Jim Leonhard was hired as the new defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills(Image: Getty)
The defensive coordinator said in February that he had spoken with Johnson about a possible position change, and the corner was excited. "He knows that we're going to communicate with him," Leonhard said.
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"And find out what's right because he's been an extremely productive player in the NFL, 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."
The Bills ultimately decided that Johnson's cap hit did not warrant his expected participation in 2026. Rapp and Jackson were also released from the defensive unit.
Samuel was the only offensive star to be released in the latest batch of roster moves, after Moore arrived from Chicago.