A Penn State product and Pro Bowl center who has anchored Buffalo's offensive line since taking over the starting job.
Connor McGovern has grown from a Dallas third-round pick who missed his rookie year to injury into a Pro Bowl center for the Buffalo Bills. After moving from Dallas to Buffalo in free agency and sliding to center, he's since signed multiple extensions to stay with the franchise long-term.
Path to the league
McGovern started at guard for Penn State as a true freshman, helping the Nittany Lions win the 2016 Big Ten title and reach the Rose Bowl. He started 34 games over three seasons split between right guard and center, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2018. The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
McGovern missed his entire rookie season with a torn pectoral muscle before becoming a part-time starter for Dallas in 2020 and 2021 and a full-time starter in 2022. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency in 2023 as the starting left guard, then moved to center in 2024 after Mitch Morse's departure. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection following the 2024 season and signed a four-year, $52 million extension with Buffalo in March 2026.
2025 season recap
McGovern continued as Buffalo's starting center in 2025, building on his Pro Bowl 2024 campaign in which he started all 16 games he played and helped anchor an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the league. His steady play at the pivot cemented him as one of the top centers in the AFC and led directly to his new long-term deal with the Bills.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Connor McGovern (American football, born 1997)
- Pro Football Reference: Connor McGovern
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Center
- Group
- offense
- College
- Penn State
- Hometown
- Larksville, PA, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
