Bills agree to one-year contract with edge rusher Joey Bosa

HipKat · Wednesday at 4:34 AM

The Athletic: Bills land DE Joey Bosa on 1-year, $12.6M deal: Sources

Bills land DE Joey Bosa on 1-year, $12.6M deal: Sources

Bosa's 72 sacks in his nine seasons with the Chargers are second-most in team history. He arrives after the Bills released Von Miller.

www.nytimes.com

The Buffalo Bills and edge rusher Joey Bosa agreed to terms on a one-year, $12.6 million deal, league sources told The Athletic on Tuesday, edging out the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins for his services.

Bosa’s brother, Nick Bosa, plays for the 49ers, and the two grew up in the Miami area, where their father John Bosa played for the Dolphins. Joey Bosa steps in for Von Miller, whom the Bills released on Sunday.

Bosa, who turns 30 in July, was the No. 8 edge rusher and No. 34 overall on The Athletic’s NFL free agency top 150. He was released by the Chargers on March 5, saving the team $25.36 million in salary cap space.

Selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Bosa made an immediate impact on the Chargers defense with a 10 1/2-sack season that earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He went on to post double-digit sack seasons in four of his first six seasons in the league, making four Pro Bowls over that span. The performance allowed him to reset the edge rusher market with a five-year contract extension in 2020.

While still able to play at a Pro Bowl level in spurts, making his most recent one in 2024, Bosa’s body has begun to break down on him. Over the past three seasons, he missed a combined 23 games and started only 18. In 2024, Bosa played just 50 percent of possible snaps, the lowest of his career thus far. Despite the injuries, he still produced five sacks and 13 quarterback hits across 14 games and nine starts.

Bosa’s 72 sacks are the second-most in franchise history behind only Leslie O’Neal.

How he fits

Bosa enters the equation for the Bills as the bigger splash at edge rusher they so desperately needed this offseason. As the Bills’ 2024 season unfolded, it became painfully obvious that the team needed more from their pass rush. A.J. Epenesa wasn’t cutting it as a starter, and they could only rely on Von Miller for 15 to 30 snaps per game, limiting his overall impact on the game. The Bills released Miller this offseason, and Bosa instantly becomes a starting piece for the franchise in 2025 and one they hope can put their pass-rushing group over the top.

Bosa has had a great career with the Chargers since entering the league in 2016, with a reputation as one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL at one time. All the injuries have taken their toll on him, which led to not only his release but the Bills being able to get him at a manageable price point, given his past production. If they can get a full season out of Bosa without injuries, the one-year investment will be worth the modest price tag for his position.

2025 impact

Bosa will very likely take the place of Epenesa as one of the team’s two starting defensive ends, and he’ll pair with the newly extended Greg Rousseau as the top two pass rushers. There will still be a role for Epenesa as a rotational rusher, especially because the Bills will likely be extremely cognizant of Bosa’s injury history in how they deploy him. But the Bills had a bit of a disjointed pass rush last year by role alone. Epenesa was the starting right defensive end, but mostly only played on first and second downs. When it became an obvious passing situation, Epenesa would usually get subbed off the field for Miller, who would then force Rousseau from left defensive end to the right side.

As much as Bosa conceivably helps the Bills, where the Bills line him up will likely be a work in progress to see how he and Rousseau can best fit together. He has shown the ability to rush from the right side throughout his career, though over the last five seasons, Bosa has rushed from the left side the vast majority of the time. According to Pro Football Focus, the last time Bosa had a near-even split in a single season between the left and right side was back in 2019.

What makes it interesting is that Rousseau is a more gifted pass-rusher when lined up on the left side because that’s what he’s played the majority of his football career. The Bills began to use him on the right side more and more over the last two years, and he’s had his moments on that side, but he’s still at his best when rushing from the left. Bosa’s 11.5 percent pressure rate in 2024 is good, but Rousseau (14.4 percent in 2024) is likely the better pass rusher at this stage of their respective careers. That logic could push Bosa to be their base right defensive end, though they made an exception for Miller last year to push Rousseau to the right side, and we’ll have to see if they do the same for Bosa.

Cap update

The $12.6 million price tag from the Bills will eat a decent chunk into their available funds, though they still have some restructures they can dip into to create more space. The Bills have used void years in the past to lessen the first-year cap hit, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they did so on Bosa’s deal for some temporary relief in 2025. If so, the move doesn’t preclude them from more spending, and they’ll certainly need to address cornerback at some point, though they may have to opt for more modest ideas as free agency begins to wind down.

Outlook

With what Bosa is at this stage of his career, this isn’t a swing-for-the-fences type of move. They tried that by signing Miller in free agency in 2022 and got some temporary satisfaction, though the signing was largely a miss due to Miller’s torn ACL suffered in that same season. Bosa can be that extra piece of the pass rush they can depend upon in big situations. While Miller’s role was almost exclusively on passing downs in 2024, Bosa provides a three-down skill set that will help their overall room without having to upend the entire unit once the defense forces a third down.

With how close they were to getting to the Super Bowl last year, and with most of their starting lineup returning, they needed to get better in just a handful of spots. Defensive end was one of them, and provided that Bosa can stay healthy, he’ll be a significant improvement to what they had last season from the Epenesa, Miller and Dawuane Smoot combination. There is certainly risk involved with an investment in an oft-injured player who has slowly declined. But if all goes well, it could be one of those solid improvements to their lineup to help Rousseau and the Bills’ defensive line get just enough heat on opponents to get them into the Super Bowl next season.

sukie · Wednesday at 8:29 AM

It’s a gamble but a 1 year deal helps the risk

SpikedLemonade · Wednesday at 10:10 AM

If we are blessed with him being healthy, this a HUGE win for the Bills.

herodotus · Wednesday at 9:25 PM

SpikedLemonade said:
If we are blessed with him being healthy, this a HUGE win for the Bills.

That is a huge IF, but I agree

SpikedLemonade · Wednesday at 9:40 PM

herodotus said:
That is a huge IF, but I agree

You won't believe this however all 32 NFL Managers are NOT morons.

The other 31 teams are NOT led by idiots.

We are not the chosen team with the only decent GM.

In other words, the whole NFL player evaluation is based on IFs.

These are smart people all with the same information having to play their cards right and blindly hoping they are right.

herodotus · Wednesday at 9:53 PM

SpikedLemonade said:
You won't believe this however all 32 NFL Managers are NOT morons.

The other 31 teams are NOT led by idiots.

We are not the chosen team with the only decent GM.

In other words, the whole NFL player evaluation is based on IFs.

These are smart people all with the same information having to play their cards right and blindly hoping they are right.

Well 28 other teams. The Jets, Browns, and Giants all appear to be ran by idiots.

thebowmanbody · Thursday at 7:50 PM

SpikedLemonade said:
If we are blessed with him being healthy, this a HUGE win for the Bills.

Agree

HipKat · Friday at 5:42 AM

New Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa focused on winning as NFL career doesn't 'have that many moments left'

New Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa focused on winning as NFL career doesn't 'have that many moments left'

The team’s newest edge rusher is heading into the 10th season of what has been a prolific NFL career. He is aware that the finish line is now much closer than the starting line.

buffalonews.com

Joey Bosa struck an introspective tone Thursday in his first news conference as a member of the Buffalo Bills.

The team’s newest edge rusher is heading into the 10th season of what has been a prolific NFL career. He is aware that the finish line is now much closer than the starting line.

“Time doesn’t slow down for anybody,” Bosa said. “Seasons, especially when you spend them injured, go by in a blink of an eye. Even when you’re healthy, the seasons just go and go and go. As a rookie, it felt like forever. Now it’s gone in a blink of an eye.”

That realization hit Bosa square in the chin last week when he was released by the Los Angeles Chargers, the only team for which he has played. Bosa was the 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He quickly emerged as one of the league’s best edge rushers, making four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons. He set an NFL record with 19 sacks in his first 20 games.

Injuries, however, have limited him to just 28 games the past three seasons, making his cap hit of $36.25 million unsustainable.

“Getting released this year was eye-opening because you go from being the man of the future, which felt like I was a rookie yesterday almost, and now, I mean, I’m not old news or whatever, but it just happens fast,” he said. “It’s a business. I understand it.”

Part of that business involves quickly moving on, which Bosa did by signing a one-year contract with the Bills for $12.6 million. A week ago at this time, he had no clue that deal would be on the table, but the Bills reached out quickly after he was released, and shared their interest in bringing him to Buffalo.

“I’m ready to experience something different,” Bosa said. “I’m getting old and I’m ready to win and I think this team is primed to do that. I’m just excited to join a winning culture, a football culture and a football town. Experience a little bit of the seasons, mix it up a little bit.”

Bosa played in college at Ohio State, so he’s got experience in a colder climate with a passionate fan base.

“It was stressful making the decision, but when I did make that decision and I just let it sink in a little bit, I really started getting excited,” Bosa said. “Everybody in my family, the more we thought about it, the more we really thought about all the details of this kind of team that we’re going to and living in a new place, it just kept getting more exciting by the moment.”

Bosa has indeed moved quickly. He’s already found a house in Western New York, and got the obligatory welcome text from star quarterback Josh Allen.

“I think we have a chance to do something special and Josh texted me that if we do what we set out to do, we could really be immortalized in this town,” Bosa said. “That’s what it’s all about is winning a championship and that’s, I think, why people are here.”

Joey Bosa, right, had a huge game for the Chargers in 2020 during his only visit to Orchard Park to play the Bills. Buffalo News file
Although he’s been in the league for nine years, Bosa has played in Orchard Park just once. It just so happened to be a game he’ll likely never forget. The Chargers lost to the Bills, 27-17, on Nov. 29, 2020, but Bosa had three sacks, nine tackles and six tackles for loss – all single-game career highs.

“Maybe it’s an omen or something,” he said. “Usually when I play the Bills, I played pretty well, so it’s been a couple times, and hopefully I play pretty well on the team as well.”

Bosa comes from a football family. His brother, Nick, is an All-Pro edge rusher for the San Francisco 49ers. Their dad, John, played for the Miami Dolphins in the late 1980s, just before the Bills started their Super Bowl run.

Bosa jokingly referred to playing for the Bills as being in “enemy territory,” but said the opportunity to be teammates with Allen and be coached by Sean McDermott was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“It feels right, it feels like everybody, including the people that just live in Buffalo, are all locked into one goal and it’s about winning,” he said. “It seems like they’ve been really close and I think it’s long overdue to finally get over that hump. Not like I’ve been here grinding to get over that hump, but I think I’d love to be a part of it, maybe a small piece in what can help that and achieve some something that’s bigger than any individual player.”

To do that, Bosa knows he’s going to have to stay healthy. Although he appeared in 14 games last season, he estimated that he was playing at about 60%-70% for a large portion of the season because of a gluteal strain that affected his sciatic nerve, leading to severe pain.

As the season went on, Bosa started to feel better, and by the playoffs, he said he felt like himself. He had one sack and six quarterback pressures in the Chargers’ loss to the Texans in the AFC wild-card round.

“I mean, couldn’t get blocked,” he said. “I was dominating, and I felt great. I was really excited. Sometimes you just get bad luck and things happen, or you make a silly decision, you should have done this. You shouldn’t have done that.

“I’m locked in this year. I just want to do everything I can possibly to stay healthy and to contribute to this team and be a part of winning. I’m running out of time here. It’s going fast. I’m in year 10 already coming up, and I just don’t have that many moments left. So I have to, have to grasp them while I can.”

HipKat · Friday at 5:47 AM

The Athletic: Joey Bosa signed with Bills in part to pursue Josh Allen’s Super Bowl promise of ‘immortality’

Joey Bosa signed with Bills in part to pursue Josh Allen’s Super Bowl promise of ‘immortality’

Bosa said he was feeling "better than I've ever felt in nine years" before his 2024 injury. Now, he joins a Bills team looking for a ring.

www.nytimes.com

At Joey Bosa’s introductory press conference with the Buffalo Bills, championships were top of mind.

After signing a one-year, $12.6 million contract with Buffalo on Tuesday, Bosa told media members in attendance that he was looking for a shot at a championship. Naturally, joining the team coming off a 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship Game led by a quarterback who refused to reset the market so his team could field a championship-caliber roster felt like the perfect fit.

Bosa likened Buffalo to his days at Ohio State, getting excited about “a football town with an unbelievable fan base.” In 2014, Bosa was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was one of 12 unanimous All-Americans the same season Ohio State secured a national championship.

“Just something different,” Bosa said, when asked about what brought him to Buffalo. “It’s been nine years (all spent with the Chargers), which I’m really thankful for my career and how it’s played out. But I’m ready to experience something different. I’m getting old and I’m ready to win. I think this team is primed to do that, and I’m just excited to join a winning culture — football culture, in a football town.”

The 29-year-old edge rusher already understands the stakes are high, something his new teammates have already established. According to Bosa, Josh Allen reached out to him to let him know what kind of legacy this team is capable of leaving behind in Highmark Stadium before the team’s planned move in 2026.

“Last year in this stadium, I think we have a chance to do something special,” Bosa said. “Josh texted me that if we do what we set out to do, we can really be immortalized in this town. That’s what it’s all about is winning — winning a championship. And that’s why I think people are here.”

Bosa’s one-year contract in part comes from a decline in play over the last few seasons. He has not played a full season’s worth of games since 2021, appearing in just 28 games over the last three seasons. While Bosa made his first Pro Bowl since 2021 last year, his 5.0 sacks and 13 quarterback hits were both career lows in his seasons with at least 10 games played.

During his press conference, Bosa chalked his recent performance dips up to battling through injuries. He missed three games early in the season with a glute injury, then went on to play at “70 percent, 60 percent” for a good portion of the season upon his return from injury.

“Last season during camp, during preseason time, I felt better than I’ve ever felt in nine years,” Bosa said. “I was playing at an extremely high level. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way I was hoping last year, and I’m proud of myself for the way I was able to battle back and push through some things. I’m just ready for a clean slate. Leave that stuff behind me.”

Is Bosa the missing piece in Buffalo?

The Bills hope the Bosa signing will be one of the key pieces to push them over the top in 2025. Even though Bosa said it was “silly” to think that him alone would be the thing that propelled the Bills to a Super Bowl, all of the Bills’ offseason additions to their defensive line screamed that they thought improving their pass rush was critical to their championship aspirations.

As the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs unfolded in January, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to get the ball out quickly without much pressure applied to him. With the Bills depending on their four-man rush as much as they do as one of the lowest-volume blitzing teams in the league, getting improvements to their edge rusher group to help get to quarterbacks quicker will go a long way to their title hopes. Bosa will join Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and the team’s other offseason defensive end signing, Michael Hoecht, as the team’s new top four pass rushers. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer

How Bosa fits in the Bills defense

Bosa confirmed the expectation that he planned to be the starter for the Bills, which then pushes Epenesa to the bench. The Bills used Epenesa on early downs in 2024 before ultimately subbing him off on most of their obvious pass-rushing downs. His pressure rate last season (5.8 percent) was the lowest of the defensive ends on the Bills last season. The Bosa addition will push Epenesa into a rotational role, but Bosa fondly discussed the idea of playing in a rotation to keep everyone fresh for both the most important parts of games, and the most important contests.

It remains to be seen how they’ll deploy the Bosa and Rousseau combination, as both have mostly been left side defensive ends over the last several years. When healthy, though, those two will be on the field when games are on the line.

SpikedLemonade · Friday at 6:27 AM

MY NAME IS SPIKE LEMONADE AND I ENDORSE THIS BEANE MOVE

JoeMama · Saturday at 11:09 AM

Joey Bosa is washed.

I’m glad it’s a lowball offer and only one year because he’s going to be a total non factor.

And for those who are like WOW HE’LL BE BRUCE SMITH REBORN IF HE STAYS HEALTHY please keep in mind this bum was healthy for 14 games last year and only posted 5 sacks.

He’s done.

Again, it’s not the worst move given how cheaply he comes, but Bosa is simply not a good player anymore.

HipKat · Saturday at 2:15 PM

JoeMama said:
Joey Bosa is washed.

I’m glad it’s a lowball offer and only one year because he’s going to be a total non factor.

And for those who are like WOW HE’LL BE BRUCE SMITH REBORN IF HE STAYS HEALTHY please keep in mind this bum was healthy for 14 games last year and only posted 5 sacks.

He’s done.

Again, it’s not the worst move given how cheaply he comes, but Bosa is simply not a good player anymore.

I don’t think you’ll have the performance that he used to get, but I think he’ll draw enough attention to give an easier path for Groot to get to the quarterback

Bills agree to one-year contract with edge rusher Joey Bosa