Ed Oliver, Bills agree to a four-year extension
Ed Oliver just put answered a bunch of question marks. The defensive tackle agreed to a four-year contract extension worth up to $68 million with the Buffalo Bills, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Saturday.
The deal includes $45 million guaranteed. The last year of his rookie deal would have been in 2023 for one-year, $10.8 million, which was Oliver’s fifth-year option that Buffalo picked up. His new one won’t kick in until the 2024 season (undisclosed amount, at the time of this publishing).
Former ninth overall pick DT Ed Oliver and the Buffalo Bills reached agreement on a four-year, $68 million extension, including $45 million guaranteed, per source. Oliver had one year left on deal and is now tied to Buffalo for next five seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2023
The former Houston standout will continue to be a cornerstone of the Buffalo defense alongside Von Miller and Tre’Davious White. The deal is not quite like Dexter Lawrence‘s massive deal, but it is a considerable contract for a starting defensive lineman.
Expectations were sky-high for Oliver after being drafted No. 9 overall by the Bills in 2019. While his stats won’t jump out at you, he has become a mainstay on the Buffalo defensive line in recent years. In 13 games, Oliver totaled 2.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and a safety.
However, it was a tough year for the Bills’ line as both he and Miller missed time due to injury. Despite the Jets and Dolphins making considerable upgrades this offseason, many still consider Buffalo the favorite for the AFC East.
In 62 career games, Oliver’s tallied 151 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and 42 quarterback hits.
Having the big year everyone predicted out of college would be exactly what Oliver and the Bills need. As well, having a healthy Miller for the entire season will certainly make his job easier.
Oliver, 25, could put it all together and puts up nearly 7-8 sacks. It’s not like they NEED it to happen, but it would certainly be a welcome addition to Bills Mafia.
In any case, an important piece for their defense has now been locked in for the long-term, and both player and team can now focus on the upcoming season.
