A year after dismantling the veteran core of his team, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane began securing the future by agreeing to a four-year contract extension with receiver Khalil Shakir on Tuesday.

The Bills announced the agreement, which locks up the third-year player through the 2029 season.

A person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press the contract is worth up to $60.2 million, with $32 million guaranteed. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the monetary figures were not released by the team.

Shakir, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, is the first of what could be several key young Bills players due for extensions before their contracts expire after the 2025 season. The group includes middle linebacker Terrel Bernard, cornerback Christian Benford, running back James Cook and edge rusher Greg Rousseau.

The challenge for Beane represents a balancing act in using what limited salary cap space the Bills have to address immediate needs this offseason while having enough payroll room to retain key players next year.

The five-time defending AFC East champions still face salary cap restrictions this offseason even after a major purge led to the team parting ways with six of eight captains a year ago.

Buffalo is already over the cap with the NFL projecting the 2025 season number to range between $277.5 million and $281.5 million.

“We’re balancing all of that while having conversations, and some of the conversations haven’t started yet,” Beane said at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Addressing Shakir’s contract first was an indication of the value Beane placed on securing an emerging team leader who has established himself as one of quarterback Josh Allen’s favorite options.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone, fans, players, anyone in our building to say anything negative about Khalil and what he’s brought,” Beane said at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

“The guy is a true lunch pail Buffalonian,” he added. “He just shows up every single day, he’s Mr. Dependable, and when the ball’s thrown his way, he usually comes down with it.”

The 25-year-old Shakir led Buffalo with 76 catches and 821 yards — both career highs — while scoring four touchdowns last season, helping fill a major void after the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston in April.

Overall, Shakir has 125 catches for 1,593 yards and seven touchdowns in 46 games, including 21 starts.

A fifth-round draft pick out of Boise State, Shakir took on a larger leadership role among a receiving group that featured several newcomers and journeyman, including Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Amari Cooper and rookie Keon Coleman. The offense adopted an “everybody eats” spread-the-ball philosophy that helped the Bills reach the AFC championship game, which they lost to Kansas City.

Beane said it was premature to discuss what the Bills might do to free up cap space before the league year begins next month. And that includes a decision on aging edge rusher Von Miller, whose release would free up nearly $18 million in cap space.

Beane reiterated how Miller took a significant pay cut in restructuring his contract a year ago, and wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the player doing so again.

Another option would be signing Allen to a contract extension to lessen his cap hit over a longer length of time. The quarterback has four years left on his contract which counts nearly $48 million against the salary cap in 2025.

Beane specifically addressed Cook, who recently went public with his contract demands by posting “$15 mill year” on his Instagram account.

“I love James. James is a beautiful man,” Beane said, before saying he’d rather not negotiate in public. “Just because we’re not on the same page today, doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be tomorrow, in two weeks, two months, two years.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl