One factor that gets overlooked a lot in the month of December in the NFL is looking at which players are set to hit the open free agency market in March. While the main focus is clearly on the final playoff push for a lot of teams, there should also be some attention to players that are on expiring contracts with a team.
The Buffalo Bills have a good amount of players who are set to hit free agency and one of them is edge rusher A.J. Epenesa. Buffalo drafted Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s already received one contract extension from the team in March of 2024, earning a two-year $12 million deal.
From 2022-2023, Epenesa recorded 13 sacks without being a full-time starter for the Bills. He played well in a contract year and it earned him more time with the Bills. He is now in another contract year and he is making a late push to potentially get another extension from the team.
Will Bills give A.J. Epenesa another contract extension?
According to the Buffalo Bills’ PR team, with Epenesa getting his fourth interception on Sunday against the Bengals, he became the second Bills’ defensive lineman in franchise history with 4+ interceptions and trails only Ron McDole, who had 6 interceptions from 1964-1968.
Epenesa’s interception against the Bengals came right after Christian Benford picked off Burrow and returned it for a touchdown. The ball deflected off of Jordan Phillips and it landed right in Epenesa’s hands.
He hasn’t been as electric this season as he has in the past, but Epenesa is still a valuable rotational defender for Buffalo. He does have 2.5 sacks on the year and he has already recorded his second highest total tackle amount at 25.
It’s a tricky situation with Epenesa’s contract. The Bills extended Greg Rousseau back in March and also drafted Landon Jackson in the third round of this year’s draft. However, the Bills don’t exactly have a great pass rush this season. While Joey Bosa has been the best for them, he’s only here for one season and unless the Bills can get a deal done with him, he’s more than likely gone.
You also have Javon Solomon who has been a sneaky good rusher coming off the edge, but he’s not a true starter. Not to mention, the Bills also have pending free agents like Connor McGovern, DaQuan Jones, and David Edwards that could make the argument that they deserve a contract extension as well.
Epenesa could very well be playing his last couple of games as a member of the Bills. Unless he all of a sudden becomes Buffalo’s best defender down the stretch, it’s hard to imagine him getting a second extension from the team.