Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins briefly sent Bills fans into panic mode on Wednesday, April 1, after posting what appeared to be a trade announcement sending him to the Miami Dolphins. Within minutes, the message began circulating across social media, with some fans initially believing Buffalo had moved one of the franchise’s most recognizable players to a division rival.
The post, however, turned out to be an April Fools’ Day joke.
Dawkins, who has spent his entire NFL career with the Bills, appeared to lean into the chaos by choosing the Dolphins—a team that would instantly raise alarm bells in Buffalo—as the fake destination. Miami’s offseason overhaul made the idea sound just plausible enough to catch people off guard.
That thin layer of realism is what helped the prank spread so quickly.
Just days before the fake trade post, Dion Dawkins had already become the subject of debate among Bills fans after a video from a trip to Miami began circulating online.
In the clip, Dawkins was asked during a livestream whether he would consider leaving Buffalo for the Dolphins if another team doubled his salary. He initially said he would, joking that Bills fans can be hard on their own players.
The reaction was immediate, and Dawkins later clarified that he had not been serious. He pushed back on the idea that he wanted out of Buffalo, explaining that criticism comes with playing in any NFL city and describing the Bills organization and fanbase as family.
Per Rolling Out, the veteran left tackle signed a three-year, $60.5 million extension with Buffalo in 2024 and remains one of the most important players on the roster, protecting Josh Allen’s blind side.
Although his name surfaced in offseason trade speculation because of the Bills’ salary cap situation, there has been no credible reporting suggesting Buffalo has explored moving him.
In recent weeks, Dawkins had already been making headlines away from football. He publicly accused JetBlue employees of stealing jewelry, including Rolex watches, from his fiancée’s luggage during a family trip from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. JetBlue responded by saying it had launched an investigation into the allegations.
