David Edwards
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After extending Connor McGovern, the Buffalo Bills are expected to let David Edwards hit free agency
The Buffalo Bills have been busy sorting through their roster ahead of the start of free agency. On Saturday afternoon, the front office took care of a critical piece of business, as they managed to sign starting center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52 million contract extension right before he was set to hit the open market and potentially depart for a new team.
Keeping McGovern, who is one of the better interior offensive linemen in the league, in town for the foreseeable future, is a huge win for the Bills, especially since he seemed set to command quite a bit of interest on the open market. And yet, while McGovern is sticking around, it sounds like Buffalo is beginning to accept the fact that it may lose one of its starting guards, David Edwards, in free agency.
Bills Set to Let David Edwards Hit Free Agency
Connor McGovern back for the #Bills but G David Edwards seems headed to the market where big money in this ballpark awaits him. His former teammate Will Clapp just started his coaching career with the #Saints so there’s a connection there. But $$$ will also tell the story. https://t.co/ivFr1uKbU8
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 7, 2026
Edwards has been one of the great success stories for the Bills’ front office over the past few years. After helping the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI, Edwards struggled with concussion issues in 2022, which led him to sign a cheap one-year contract with the Bills in 2023. Edwards didn’t start a single game that season, but he did enough to earn himself a two-year, $6 million contract extension.
In 2024, Edwards earned the starting left guard job out of training camp, and he never looked back. Edwards has missed just one game over the past two seasons, and he has returned to the stellar level of play he showed earlier in his career with the Rams. With him and McGovern both set to hit the open market, though, Buffalo faced a tough decision.
In a perfect world, general manager Brandon Beane would be able to re-sign both of these guys, but that always seemed unlikely to happen. With McGovern getting his deal, that increases the likelihood that Edwards will depart in free agency, as reports indicate he is expected to test the open market and see what offers come his way.
“Connor McGovern back for the Bills but G David Edwards seems headed to the market where big money in this ballpark awaits him,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “His former teammate Will Clapp just started his coaching career with the Saints so there’s a connection there. But $$$ will also tell the story.”
Bills Bracing for David Edwards’ Departure in Free Agency
David Edwards
GettyAfter extending Connor McGovern, the Buffalo Bills are expected to let David Edwards hit free agency
Losing Edwards would be a big blow for Buffalo, but it has other areas of need on its roster, meaning that it cannot afford to use all of its cap space on its offensive line. The Bills will surely make an offer to bring Edwards back to town, but it ultimately wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him land with a new team when all is said and done.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Beane and company were able to identify Edwards as a bargain bin option in free agency a couple of years ago, so they will likely be looking for a similar player to come in and replace him should he leave. There’s no such thing as a guarantee in the NFL, but with McGovern back in town, that may just pave the way for Edwards to leave, which could put Buffalo in a tough spot.