Getty Bills tight end Dawson Knox at Soldier Field on December 24, 2022.
While the Buffalo Bills mandatory minicamp got off to a rocky start with Stefon Diggs‘ bizarre absence on Day 1 and head coach Sean McDermott exacerbating the situation with his “very concerned” comment, Dawson’s Knox’s leg injury almost flew under the radar.
Knox sat out the rest of practice and the team’s starting tight end was unable to participate on Day 2. Buffalo’s former third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft was seen wearing a sleeve on his injured leg as he watched practice from the sidelines, which created concern.
However, while hosting his second annual youth football camp at Nazareth on Saturday, June 17, the Bills’ $52 million star shared a positive update on his leg, brushing aside any worry he may not be healthy for when training camp kicks off at St. John Fisher University at the end of July.
“I’m good,” Knox said. “Very minor. I’m good. You’ll see me running out around here, so you’ll see I’m pretty good.” As promised, the 26-year-old was seen running around on the field in Pittsford with the boys and girls attending his football camp.
At Knox’s event for kids grades 1 through 8, the tight end, along with coaches from the area’s top high schools and colleges, offer “tips and hands-on” instruction on fundamental football skills and participate in non-contact games in a “high-energy, fun and positive environment,” the ProCamps website states,
Dawson Knox Went Down in Practice Following a Collision With CB Kaiir Elam
Syracuse.com‘s Matt Parrino tweeted on Tuesday, June 14, “Knox injured on a play during 11-on-11 today. Taylor Rapp made a good play to defend a pass from Josh Allen and Kaiir Elam came flying in late and looked to hit Knox’s leg.” Batavia Daily News‘ Alex Brasky reported that Knox “limped off” off the field while WROC-TV‘s Thad Brown noted he “seemed to favor his left knee… was a bit ginger, but did not appear serious.”
After the drill ended, Getzenberg tweeted that quarterback Josh Allen, among others, came to check on him. “Knox flexed his foot for a bit on the sideline and walked around/stood on the sideline for the rest of practice without athletic trainers.”
The Bills Signed TE Nick Guggemos After Zach Davidson Hit IR
After placing tight end Zach Davidson on IR, the Bills announced they signed Nick Guggemos on Thursday, June 16. The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia reported that the former Green Bay Packer tight end had attended the Bills’ mandatory minicamp “on a tryout basis,” so the coaching staff must’ve liked what they saw.
Guggemos has had an interesting journey to the NFL. The former undrafted free agent out of St. Thomas, a Division III school in Minnesota, played receiver in college, but recorded just one reception for eight yards and one rush for negative four yards, per SI‘s Bill Huber.
The 27-year-old pursued a career in engineering after graduating in 2018 but hoped to get a shot in the NFL. However, when COVID-19 hit, those opportunities dried up. Guggemos “continued to train at an ETS Performance opened by Vikings receiver Adam Thielen,” Huber reported, and “he was invited to the University of Minnesota pro day in 2021, where he caught the eye of Seahawks general manager John Schneider – an alum of St. Thomas.”
Guggemos ran the 40 in 4.49 seconds and had a broad jump “that rivaled any tight end to ever participate in the Scouting Combine,” Huber noted.
Guggemos signed with the Seahawks after a workout with the Seahawks but was released a month later. The 6-foot-5, 247-pounder had a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns practice squad and the Washington Commanders before signing with the Packers in November, per USA Today. While he signed a reserve/futures deal with Green Bay, Guggemos was released last month.
It’s hard to see Guggemos being more than a camp for the Bills. With Knox healthy, Buffalo has enough depth at the position with Dalton Kincaid, Quinton Morris, and Joel Wilson.
