Buffalo Bills elect to release former Alabama tight end OJ Howard

The Buffalo Bills are releasing former Alabama Crimson Tide tight end OJ Howard on Tuesday, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The former Tampa Bay Bucs contributor signed a one-year deal with the Bills in free agency this offseason but will now need a new home.

The Bills had a couple of tight ends emerge during training camp, eventually leaving Howard without a team for the 2022 season. The team also added a new tight end in the draft in former Ole Miss star Dawson Knox.

In March, Howard signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Buffalo. He’ll still receive roughly $3.195 in guaranteed money. For releasing the tight end, the Bills take on dead cap hits of $2.62 million in 2022 and $625,000 in 2023.

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O.J. Howard cut by Buffalo

Coming out of Alabama in 2017, Howard became a first-round draft pick. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight end went No. 19 overall to the Buccaneers. He played five seasons in Tampa, recording his most productive year in 2018 with 565 yards with five touchdowns on 34 receptions.

The arrival of Tom Brady signaled a new era in Tampa, however, Howard’s playing time with the NFL legend ended abruptly with an Achilles tear in the 2020 season. He recorded 11 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns through four games. After returning from injury, the former Bama star played in 17 games but recorded just 14 receptions for 135 yards and a score.

O.J. Howard left the Crimson Tide after a stellar senior season that most fans won’t forget. He earned the MVP award for his performance in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He had five catches for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson. That season, he finished with 45 receptions for 595 yards and three touchdowns. As a junior starter in 2015, he had 38 catches on the season for 602 yards for a team-high 15.8 yards per catch average.