The 2024 Buffalo Bills season was one to remember for everyone involved, from rookies to veterans in the locker room.
The memories that were made in the locker room are ones that will last a lifetime.
“The memories that we made, not just on the football field, but off,” QB Josh Allen said. “In the locker room, poker nights, QB dinners, our holiday parties. This is an unbelievable group to be a part of. Love each and every one of those guys in that locker room. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get it done, but I’m very proud of how far we did come.”
Allen’s sentiments were echoed by RB Ty Johnson who said that the Bills are not like any other organization that he has played for. TE Dawson Knox felt the same.
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“That’s one of my biggest things, telling the young guys, or guys who’ve always been here their whole career, it’s not like this everywhere else,” Johnson said. “Really embracing the community and the love and the respect that everyone has for each other, regardless if you’re a player or front staff, kitchen, anything, it’s like no other place.”
“This team was so special, so fun to be a part of, and I think that’s the hardest part of every season coming to an end, is knowing that it’s not going to be the same,” Knox said. “Knowing just the good times we had together – not necessarily even on the field or in the locker room, but hanging out outside the building, hanging out at each other’s houses, going to dinners, those are the moments I’ll cherish forever.”
Although the 2024 season ended in a disappointing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the players can take the lessons that they learned from the 2024 season and implement them into the 2025 season and beyond.
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“Didn’t really feel like they were rookies”
The 2024 Bills saw changes along the roster including having to replace several key veterans on both offense and defense. Rookies and younger players saw increased roles and thrived in these scenarios. Allen said that these rookies did not feel like rookies at all.
“You didn’t really feel like they were rookies all that much,” Allen said. “Ray Davis coming in and being the hammer to our run game. Keon… he made some spectacular plays throughout the season. It’s going to be fun to continue to work with him. Defensively, we had a lot of young guys that contributed a lot. So we keep incorporating them and making sure that we’re developing them the right way and just try to get back on track for next year.”
Rookie RB Ray Davis saw his role evolve throughout the season by learning from RB James Cook. He added that he is excited for the offseason and to continue to showcase his ability moving forward.
“I’m excited to be able to just be here… There’s a lot that I want to do and get better at, and I’m excited for the off season,” Davis said. “It’s going to be pretty good for me. Just to get back here and continue to prove that I am who I am, and continue to show showcase my ability in all facets of the game.”
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He said that he learned a lot from Cook and the rest of the running back room, including Ty Johnson and Frank Gore. Jr.
“Talking to Jimbo and learning things that I need to get better at, in terms of on the field but then also off the field, not being frustrated, understanding it’s a one play mentality,” Davis said. “I thank him, I thank Ty and thank Frank. Those three guys continue to push me to have the rookie year that I was able to have, because they constantly instilled grit, competition, and just showed me that I got to be happy, be where my feet are, and enjoy the moment.”
Another rookie that saw his role evolve throughout the season was rookie LB and Buffalo native Joe Andreessen.
Andreessen said that he was able to reflect on what the last year has been like for him, from training for his pro day to making the roster to getting playing time.
“I’m just blessed that I’m able to be here,” Andreessen said. “Looking at the whole year, I’m nothing but grateful for what’s it’s brought me.”
He said that he was able to learn and grow this year and that he was able to lean on the veterans in the locker room to learn how to maximize his career.
“A lot of guys stick around from work ethic and how they approach the game,” Andreessen said. “Just trying to mimic that… Just trying to learn from those guys.”
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“I’m a player, simple as that”
It was an all too familiar feeling for veterans that have been in the Bills locker room but the one thing that did not waiver from start to finish was their togetherness.
“You start the offseason in OTAs with a whole bunch of new faces and you never really know how that’s going to be,” WR Khalil Shakir said. “Even before that, in OTAs, guys were making a point to hang out, get to know one another. I think when you have a group of guys who truly, deep down, care about not only the football player, but that person’s family as well, and how they’re doing, and checking in on them, I think that makes you want to play that much harder for them on the field, and it’s a hard point to get to.”
Shakir was one of many players that saw a major leap in production. Shakir entered the season as the only wide receiver on this roster that had caught a pass from Allen and became a safety blanket for Allen, nearly doubling his reception total from 2023, going from 39 to 76 and catching for 821 yards, which led the team.
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As they reflect on the 2024 season, togetherness was one of the key words that was said throughout the locker room.
“Just how well we played together and the type of offense that we had,” RG O’Cyrus Torrence said. “The way people doubted us in the beginning but ended up with the records we broke and the accomplishments we made this year is special, even though we didn’t get the ultimate goal.”
DE Greg Rousseau, who was in his fourth season with the Bills, also saw his production increase, getting to opposing QB for 8.0 sacks throughout the course of the season.
“My focus will be everything, whether it’s stopping the run, pass rush or whatever it is,” DE Greg Rousseau said. “I might have had the production, but there’s a lot of good players out there that helped me do my thing, and just the communication, all that stuff I don’t take for granted.”
RB Ty Johnson who was playing on a one-year deal said that this season proved that he is a player in this league.
“I’m a player, simple as that. I’m a smart player,” Johnson said. “I believe in myself, situationally, awareness. I think the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. And hopefully the Bills see that, and other teams see it as well.”
‘We have 17’
With the 2024 season now behind them, the players have their sights set on the 2025 season and what they can do to improve.
One unit that thrived in 2024 was the offensive line that saw changes at LG and C to start the year. Despite the changes, this group played the most snaps together among any offensive line in the NFL and made QB Josh Allen the least sacked QB in the NFL. In 2025, all five starters will be returning.
“I feel like a good offensive line helps the team as a whole together, so seeing that the same five guys are going to be back, and a lot of the same backups are going to be back, I think it’s gonna help keep the core of the team together,” Torrence said.
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Shakir said that although he was still processing the season, he is excited for the 2025 run.
“How we gel together as a team, and you know our team chemistry, how we bonded, and how every single person really appreciated deep down to the right to the left. It’s special. I think all we can do now is move forward and keep our heads up and lean on one another,” he said.
This team will see many players return, as their list of free agents is not as deep as in the previous season and their young core is excited to continue to work.
“I feel like we did a really good job building an identity this year on offense, on defense, taking the ball away, we just got to keep that going,” Rousseau said. “We have a lot of dudes coming back so our core is still there, and we’re excited for next season.”
When asked specifically why they were confident in 2025, the answer was simple and consistent: “We have 17.”
“When you got Josh, I think there’s a lot of things that can, that can happen and you look forward to,” Davis said. “The Brotherhood, the chemistry, the camaraderie that we were able to build, I think that’s going to continue to grow and elevate and I think you’ll continue to see that throughout next season.”