Bernard and the Bills have agreed to terms on a four-year, $50 million contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The 2022 third-round pick had one season remaining on his rookie contract, after thriving the past two years. He wasn't as statistically dominant in 2024 as he had been in 2023, but he still topped 100 tackles and had multiple interceptions despite missing four games. In 2023, he had one of the best statistical seasons by a linebacker in recent years, recording 143 tackles (84 solo), including 6.5 sacks, five pass defenses, including three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries. Garofolo reports that Bernard's new contract includes $25.2 million guaranteed, which would put him fourth among off-ball linebackers behind Baltimore's Roquan Smith ($45 million), Chicago's Tremaine Edmunds ($41.8 million) and San Francisco's Fred Wagner ($27.5 million). The reported average annual value of $12.5 million ranks a bit lower, tying for sixth at the position.
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Bernard and the Bills have agreed to terms on a four-year, $50 million contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The 2022 third-round pick had one season remaining on his rookie contract, after thriving the past two years. He wasn't as statistically dominant in 2024 as he had been in 2023, but he still topped 100 tackles and had multiple interceptions despite missing four games. In 2023, he had one of the best statistical seasons by a linebacker in recent years, recording 143 tackles (84 solo), including 6.5 sacks, five pass defenses, including three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries. Garofolo reports that Bernard's new contract includes $25.2 million guaranteed, which would put him fourth among off-ball linebackers behind Baltimore's Roquan Smith ($45 million), Chicago's Tremaine Edmunds ($41.8 million) and San Francisco's Fred Wagner ($27.5 million). The reported average annual value of $12.5 million ranks a bit lower, tying for sixth at the position.
Kolesar scored a pair of goals on five shots and went plus-3 in Thursday's 7-5 win over the Blackhawks. Kolesar broke out of a 15-game goal drought and picked up his first points of any kind since Feb. 2. The 27-year-old clicked immediately on a new-look third line with Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev -- the trio combined for four goals and nine points. Kolesar has matched his career high in points (24) with 12 goals and 12 assists, as well as 63 shots on net, 170 hits and 39 PIM, through 59 appearances this season. He remains in a bottom-six role but has appeal in fantasy formats that reward physicality.
Over 13 regular-season games in 2024, Bernard recorded 104 tackles (55 solo) including 1.0 sacks, along with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Bernard led Buffalo's linebackers in snaps by a wide margin in 2024 despite missing four games due to injuries, and he just managed to reach 100 tackles for the second season straight. Despite the lesser raw numbers, he was more productive on a per-snap basis than he was in his breakout campaign in 2023. Bernard was the Bills' second leading tackler in 2024 and figures to retain a starting role and mainstream IDP appeal during the last year of his rookie contract in 2025.
Coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday that Bernard (quadriceps) will be active for Sunday's wild-card game versus Denver, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. Bernard was not able to play in Buffalo's regular-season finale due to a quadriceps injury, but he'll be good to go for the start of the playoffs. He figures to play a near every-down role at linebacker in Sunday's postseason opener.
Coach Sean McDermott said Friday that he feels good about Bernard's (quadriceps) chances of playing in next weekend's playoff opener, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. Bernard will not play Sunday against the Patriots, but it sounds like his injury suffered in Week 17 isn't serious enough to keep him sidelined long-term. Through 13 appearances this season, Bernard has logged 104 tackles (55 solo), including five TFLs and 1.0 sacks, three pass breakups, including two interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
Coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday that Bernard (leg) won't play in Week 18 against the Patriots, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. Bernard apparently suffered a leg injury during Sunday's game versus the Jets, and he'll need to sit out of his team's final regular season game as he recovers. In his absence, rookie Joe Andreessen figures to see an uptick in snaps Sunday.
Bernard finished Sunday's 24-21 win over New England with 12 tackles (eight solo). Sunday was the third straight game that Bernard has registered double-digit tackles. He's logged at least eight combined tackles in each of his last eight outings, and he has played every single snap in six of those contests. Bernard is up to 98 combined tackles through 12 regular-season games, and he'll likely hit the century mark for the second straight year in the Bills' Week 17 clash against the Jets on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Bernard totaled 10 tackles (four solo) during Buffalo's win over the Lions on Sunday. Bernard led the team in tackles once again during Sunday's victory and has now racked up double-digit tackles in back-to-back games and three times total this season. Across his first 11 outings of the campaign, the 25-year-old has recorded 86 tackles (47 solo), with 1.0 sacks, and two interceptions.
Bernard recorded 10 tackles (four solo) in Sunday's 44-42 loss to the Rams. Bernard has now recorded eight or more tackles in seven of the 10 games he's played in this season. The middle linebacker has 76 stops (43 solo) on the year. He also has three pass breakups, including two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.