Hawes was not targeted during Buffalo's 33-30 divisional-round overtime loss to Denver on Saturday.
Hawes went untargeted in the Bills' playoff loss while fellow tight ends Dalton Kincaid (6-83-1) and Dawson Knox (3-32-0) both had multiple grabs. A rookie fifth-round pick, Hawes proved to be an impactful blocker, and while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, he also managed a respectable 16-187-3 line (19 targets) despite operating as the clear No. 3 option at the position behind Kincaid and Knox. Kincaid is locked in as Buffalo's top pass-catching TE for 2026 and beyond, but Knox carries an exorbitant cap hit next season and will be a candidate to either restructure his deal this offseason or be cut, potentially paving the way for Hawes to handle increased opportunities.