New York’s ORCHARD PARK (AP) — With his three-year agreement with the Buffalo Bills, starting left tackle Dion Dawkins isn’t going anywhere. Furthermore, Dawkins’ rivalry with second-year defensive lineman Micheal Clemons of the New York Jets is nonexistent.

After accepting his new contract on Monday, Dawkins spent almost forty minutes on a Zoom call with the media discussing his feelings for both Buffalo, his adopted hometown, and Clemons. Additionally, Dawkins said he was kidding when he announced on social media earlier in the day that his tenure with the Bills was ending.

It doesn’t really seem like a joke to me. Regarding his post on X, he stated, “I’m an entertainer, and I’m going to entertain,” which included read, “Buffalo, it was good while it lasted.”

The seven-year starter, who had one year left on his deal, couldn’t think of a better place to play than Buffalo. His new contract is good until the 2027–2028 season.

I will always be a part of this community. I mean, I wouldn’t leave for nothing,” Dawkins remarked. I mean, I can’t go somewhere else and rub it in the face of another fan. No, dude, I gave you guys too much. Buffalo is also who I am.

Afterwards, when asked if he regretted questioning Clemons’ manhood in an interview from last month, Dawkins shifted his focus to Clemons.

“I have no regrets whatsoever. Re-negging is not warranted, according to Dawkins. “Like, it’s like we’re not friends,” as though you were pursuing me into a tunnel and began to bark with your beak. Like, that’s not what we’re doing. We’re not criminals. We play football. And on the football field is where we conduct business, correct?

Dawkins was speaking of an on-field fight that, after Buffalo’s 32-6 victory over the AFC East rival Jets on November 19, finally turned into a shoving and yelling match in a stadium tunnel.

“I don’t like the Jets, they have like, very rude players,” Dawkins declared following the game, in which he was given an unnecessary roughness call for flopping on top of Clemons just as the whistle went off.

Dawkins added that following Clemons’ confrontation of quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Gabe Davis, he was stepping up to support his teammates.

Clemons has not responded to the events or what Dawkins said.

The Bills signed two-year contracts with defensive back Cam Lewis and edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, respectively, to keep both prospective free agents.

Buffalo selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 draft, and he has amassed 6 1/2 sacks in each of the last two seasons. The 25-year-old is anticipated to see greater playing time after Leonard Floyd’s anticipated free agent departure and behind starters Greg Rousseau and Von Miller.

The player’s agent, Sean Stellato, stated that Lewis’s contract is valued at $4 million when the Bills announced his signing. After playing for the Bills during his first four seasons, Lewis is back.

Lewis, 26, decided to come back to Buffalo because he is accustomed to the team’s defensive scheme and has previous experience playing both cornerback and security. The Bills’ secondary is changing as a result of Micah Hyde, the safety, thinking about retiring, and the team’s release of safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White last week.

Allen’s main defender’s future is assured with Dawkins’ deal. For a team that has been cutting payroll over the last few weeks after going into the offseason with projections of being a league-high $44 million above the cap, the agreement also relieves salary cap pressure.

Reputable center Mitch Morse was one of the players cut due to cap restrictions.

Dawkins expressed his regret for Morse’s exit and mentioned that he considered the Bills’ salary cap position when negotiating.

In order for us to assemble the winning Super Bowl squad, I would prefer that there be more money available for my colleagues,” Dawkins stated.

Dawkins who turns 30 next month, has been the starting left tackle for the Bills since being chosen out of Temple in the second round of the 2017 draft. Due to his durability, the three-time Pro Bowl pick is well-known. In addition to 11 postseason games, he has started 106 regular-season games.

In addition to being a leader of the team and a beloved member of the community, Dawkins’ charity endeavors have earned him the team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nomination the previous two seasons.