Offensive weapon Isaiah McKenzie will be returning to the Buffalo Bills in 2021, his agency announced on Tuesday. For the last three years, McKenzie has grown into a key wildcard for the Bills, on offense and special teams (and defense, technically). 2020 was a great year for McKenzie, who scored five rushing/receiving touchdowns, threw a touchdown pass, and returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown. That productivity came despite his role shrinking when the Bills traded for Stefon Diggs and drafted Gabriel Davis.
Diggs and Davis are still on the Bills, along with Cole Beasley and new signing Emmanuel Sanders, but John Brown is now playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. Kick returner Andre Roberts also departed, signing a contract with the Houston Texans. So McKenzie can continue as Buffalo’s jet sweep specialist, but he has an opportunity to establish himself as the team’s primary return man—as well as to claim more snaps as a true wide receiver. His 2020 resume definitely deserved that opportunity.
The Bills and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, for what it’s worth, have to be ecstatic that their spark plug is staying with the team for another year. No one else on the team does the things McKenzie does in their offense.