Having to speak to the media at the end of the season is a tough task for 31 general managers around the league, but it’s safe to say that it isn’t harder for anybody than Brandon Beane.

Losing in the AFC Championship Game, getting that close to a Super Bowl berth for the first time in 31 years, and falling to the same opponent in four of the last five years is simply brutal.

Beane sat there and fielded 43 questions, talking for well over an hour. In his questions, he was asked about the tight end group. His response about Dawson Knox, in particular, is as glowing as you’ll ever hear from someone in the front office about one of his players.

“I thought Dawson – I don’t know what Dawson’s statistics were, might not have been statistically like we were talking about Amari [Cooper]’s, his individual stats, but as a complete tight end, I thought Dawson had his most consistent year,” Beane said. “And when we talk about selfless, I’m not sure there’s a more selfless guy than Dawson Knox. You draft Dalton Kincaid, there’s all this hype that Dalton is going to do this. And what’s your role? That guy comes in here and every day he puts his arm around Dalton, roots for him, like a pro’s pro, as selfless as you can get. You need as many guys like Dawson Knox as you can to win a championship.”

“Those are the types of players, even if their stats aren’t what Kelce and some of these guys are, he does so much for our team that you guys don’t even see. The man he is, the leader he is. So we are lucky. He’s not going to give a speech to the whole team, but he’s going to pull guys to the side. If we lose a game or it’s emotionally, he is like this. He is a rock. People go to Dawson, people believe in Dawson Knox, and he is what is good, the many good things, about the Buffalo Bills,” Beane continued.

Knox is an unquestioned leader in the Bills’ clubhouse, and his general manager is thrilled about the contributions on, and off, the field that he’s getting from the veteran tight end.

Follow along all year for more Buffalo Bills coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, and make sure to follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.