DaQuan Jones contract details: Defensive tackle gets a raise from the Bills in 2024

DaQuan Jones re-upped with the Bills and we have the contract details

The Buffalo Bills re-signed defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to a two-year, $16 million deal after clearing some cap space earlier in the offseason. Jones is in line to start as the Bills’ 1-tech defensive tackle next to Ed Oliver, and Buffalo used a pay-as-you-go type of deal for the 32-year-old big fella.

Jones earned a $5 million signing bonus as part of his $10.5 million in fully guaranteed money. That includes all of his 2024 compensation as well as $2.25 million of his 2025 salary.

With only $2.5 million in future guarantees and no money due to him during the 2025 offseason, the Bills have a lot of flexibility with their future decision on Jones. They don’t have an inflection point at the start of the league year with a roster bonus or more fully guaranteed money, so it feels like a very team-friendly contract. With only $2.5 million guaranteed in 2025, if Buffalo cuts him and he signs with another team, he’s probably going to get at least that much in his new deal — so the Bills won’t have to pay him.

So it’s a one-year deal for around $10 million with a team option in 2025. Two years, $16 million if he plays it out.

Normally, Buffalo adds a per-game roster bonus and a workout bonus to contracts, but neither of those exist in this deal.

There are two option years added to spread out Jones’ 2024 cap hit. Unlike some of the contracts we’ve seen, kicking the can down the road won’t hurt too much here. They didn’t shift the maximum amount that they could, probably because they know he’s not going to be extended after this.

The deal represents a slight raise for Jones, who just completed a two-year, $14 million deal with Buffalo. It is the 29th-largest DT contract in the NFL in terms of average value and 36th in terms of fully guaranteed total money. (Harrison Phillips is entering the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million contract, for context, and he originally had $12.9 million guaranteed.)

Jones also carries a $1.833 dead-cap hit from his previous deal because 2024 was a void year.

Here are the yearly breakdowns:

2024
Restructure from old contract: $1,833,334
Prorated signing bonus: $1.25 million
Base salary: $3.25 million (fully guaranteed)

Yearly cash: $8.25 million

Cap hit: $6,333,334 million

2025
Prorated signing bonus: $1.25 million
Base salary: $7.75 million ($2.25 million fully guaranteed)

Yearly cash: $7.75 million

Cap hit: $9 million
Dead cap if cut: $6 MILLION
Cap savings if cut: $3.75 million to $6 million (depending on offset)

2026 VOID YEAR
Prorated signing bonus: $1.25 million

Dead cap if not re-signed: $2.5 million

2027 VOID YEAR
Prorated signing bonus: $1.25 million

Dead cap if not re-signed: $1.25 million (Accelerated to 2026 if not on the roster in 2026)