The Buffalo Bills have released defensive tackle Tommy Akingbesote, terminating his contract to create roster space for veteran Greg Gaines.
The move was announced this week as the team prepares for its second preseason game.
Akingbesote, a 6-foot-4, 316-pound interior lineman, was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (247th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Maryland.
The Cowboys waived him during final roster cuts last August. He spent a short stint on the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad before joining Buffalo’s practice squad in late October 2025. After the season, the Bills signed him to a reserve/futures contract.
The 23-year-old appeared in Buffalo’s preseason opener against the Panthers on August 15, logging 12 defensive snaps and two on special teams. He did not record a tackle in the Bills’ 29-14 win. He has yet to play in a regular-season NFL game.
At Maryland, Akingbesote played 44 games and totaled 77 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks. Scouts viewed him as a developmental prospect with size, power, and a late start in football after playing basketball in high school.
The Cowboys hoped he could grow into a rotational run-stopper. Those hopes never materialized in Dallas, and he now becomes a free agent again after one year with Buffalo.
The corresponding signing brings in Gaines, an eight-year veteran with 108 regular-season games. The former Rams Super Bowl champion spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played all 17 games and recorded 23 tackles and two sacks.
Gaines has missed just four games over the past six seasons and adds proven experience to an interior group that includes Ed Oliver and younger players such as Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders. The move also reunites Gaines with Bills linebacker Michael Hoecht, his former Rams teammate.
Buffalo’s decision reflects a preference for immediate veteran reliability over continuing to develop a late-round project who had not distinguished himself in limited opportunities. Akingbesote’s futures deal carried only a small guaranteed amount, making the cut straightforward from a cap perspective.
The 23-year-old now enters the waiver wire as training camps wind down. Teams looking for cheap depth on the defensive line could take a look, but his path to a 53-man roster remains an uphill climb after stops with three organizations in his first 16 months as a professional.
For the Bills, the addition of Gaines signals a focus on experience as they try to stay competitive in a tough AFC East.
