The Buffalo Bills and their center, Connor McGovern, have finalized a pact for a four-year contract valued at $52 million, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This arrangement features $32 million in guaranteed funds and prevents the seasoned player from entering the open market for free agents.
McGovern, aged 28, played for the Bills for the past three campaigns, with the most recent two years seeing him operate as Josh Allen’s primary center following his shift from the left guard position.
During the 2025 season, McGovern ranked fifth in the NFL for pass block win rate at 97.2% and was credited with allowing six sacks, according to TruMedia.
McGovern and the Bills both conveyed a desire for him to come back, yet recognized the challenge posed by the prevailing market conditions and his status as a free agent. Nevertheless, the Bills made retaining their primary center a priority and secured him with a multi-year contract moments before the free agency period commenced, while several other franchises were seeking assistance for that role. This action provides the Bills with steadiness across their offensive line, as four out of five key players are now confirmed to be returning, with the exception of soon-to-be free agent left guard David Edwards.
The resilient McGovern has participated in a minimum of 14 contests during each season of his six-year professional tenure. The Cowboys picked him in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft from Penn State, though he sat out his inaugural season because of a pectoral ailment. In total, physical ailments restricted him to merely 29 starts over his three-year stint in Dallas, where he saw action at both right and left guard.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg provided input for this dispatch.