The Buffalo Bills are looking to add versatility to their offense with a running back who should see a notable role in the pass game.
Former Washington Commanders running back J.D. McKissic is expected to sign with the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that it is a two-year deal for $7 million that could be up to $8 million with incentives.
McKissic, 28, can serve as a pass catcher in the Bills offense, which should see some new wrinkles under offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. McKissic entered the league in 2016 with the Falcons, and also played for the Seahawks and Lions before his last two seasons with the Commanders.
Last season, in 11 games, he had 212 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 48 carries. He added 397 receiving yards on 43 catches, good for 9.2 yards per catch.
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In 2020, McKissic ranked second in the NFL in catches by running backs with 80 for 589 yards. Only New Orleans' Alvin Kamara, with 83, had more.
An Alabama native, McKissic was a multi-position player at Arkansas State.
McKissic missed the last six games of last season, eventually being placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. In Week 12, he had two touchdowns against Seattle, his former team, before he was carted off after a brutal hit. Even so, his 397 receiving yards in 11 games were second-most on the Commanders last year, only behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
The Bills improved their run game toward the end of last season with the emergence of third-year running back Devin Singletary. Still, it was up and down for a large stretch of the regular season, and coach Sean McDermott was candid and consistent in saying he needed to see improvement.
Singletary led all backs with 870 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Five of those rushing touchdowns came in the last four games of the regular season. Quarterback Josh Allen came next, with 763 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Then, running back Zack Moss had 345 rushing yards on 96 carries, and Matt Breida had 125 yards on 26 carries.
Breida and running back Taiwan Jones, who played 70.5% of special teams snaps, are both unrestricted free agents. The Bills will look to build off the way Singletary finished the year, and McKissic could add a dimension in the pass game as well.
