Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins is going to have a new look ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Dawkins told USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa at the 2026 ESPYs he was feeling “good” ahead of the upcoming season. The 32-year-old tackle acknowledged that was because of a key change he made for the campaign.
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“I’ve told [everyone] in the world that this will be the lightest season that I ever play,” Dawkins said.
Dawkins was listed as weighing 320 pounds by the Bills during the 2025 NFL season. The 6-5 tackle acknowledged he had dropped 45 pounds since his peak, though it wasn’t clear whether his peak was his listed weight.
What was Dawkins’ goal in dropping that weight?
“To play a little faster, play a little better because something is not getting us over that hump,” Dawkins said. “So I want to be at the best that I could possibly be. So I said, (expletive) it, let’s lose some weight.”
Dawkins noted he was still confident in his athleticism playing at a heavier weight. Still, he thought changing things up could benefit the Bills as they seek the right combination to get the team to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.
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“I am fast heavy,” Dawkins explained, “but I might be just a little bit faster, lighter. And that might be what Josh [Allen] needs to get us over that hump.”
Of course, Dawkins also detailed that Allen hadn’t yet seen him at the lighter weight.
“He’ll probably see me and be like, ‘All right, Dion, it’s time to eat a little bit,'” Dawkins said. “But I would rather have that than all right Dion’s time to lose a little bit. So I’d rather start super light and see how it goes.”
The good news for the veteran tackle? First-year Bills coach Joe Brady is on board with his plan to drop weight.
“If I come in lighter, I get a couple of the touchdown passes,” Dawkins joked when asked about Brady. “So we’ll see.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bills O-Lineman lost 45 pounds with one goal in mind, support Josh Allen
