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Bills QB Josh Allen Loses Key Offensive Lineman Ryan Van Demark to Vikings
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- Bills QB Josh Allen Loses Key Offensive Lineman Ryan Van Demark to Vikings
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills had a disappointing end to their 2025 NFL season. Buffalo went 12-5, finishing second in the AFC East behind Drake Maye and the New England Patriots . Although Buffalo's franchise-record five-year run atop the division ended, they still received a playoff berth.
In an NFL playoffs without the competition of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs , Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals , Allen and the Bills had high expectations placed upon them. Things looked good to start when the star quarterback led his team to a 27-24 Wild Card victory over Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars . The Sean McDermott-led squad once again disappointed in postseason play, losing in the AFC Divisional playoffs 33-30 in overtime to Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos .
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen signals to the offensive line during first half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026.Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Coming off the playoff loss, Buffalo has made major changes to their team this offseason. McDermott was let go after nine seasons for his lack of postseason success. The Bills turned heads when they traded a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore . The Bills are not finished with their offseason moves, as they have now made a decision on the offensive line.
Ryan Van Demark is a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman who just completed his fourth year in the league. The UConn Huskies product went undrafted in the 2022 draft, eventually being signed by the Indianapolis Colts but never making the 53-man roster. Van Demark was signed by Buffalo in 2023 and appeared in 12 games. The promising young lineman has seen increased action every year in the league. He played in 14 games in 2024, starting in two of them, and played in all 17 regular-season games for the Bills in 2025, starting in four.
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Now, Van Demark has seen his time in Buffalo come to an end, as the restricted free agent is headed to the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year, $4.2 million deal that is fully guaranteed. The Bills had five days to match the offer sheet, but decided not to, and now they will lose a protector for their superstar quarterback.
"RFA on the move: The Bills will not match the offer sheet to OL Ryan Van Demark, who is headed to the Vikings on a one-year, $4.2 million fully guaranteed deal, sources tell The Insiders, "NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero wrote on X." Deal negotiated by @davidcanter @nessmugrabi @brian_mcintyre of @aurasportsgroup."
Buffalo holds the No. 26 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft , which begins on April 23.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
