Saturday night’s heartbreak for the Buffalo Bills was the final act for plenty of players on the 2025 roster. Certainly, most hoped that if 2025 were to be their last season with Buffalo, it would have ended much sweeter in Super Bowl LX.
That wasn’t and won’t be the case. With the Bills’ front office strapped for cash to begin the offseason, the team will no doubt have to take some lumps in preparing the 2026 roster.
One of the biggest lumps is likely to come on the defensive side, as Bills Mafia has a strong feeling that Joey Bosa just played his last game for the Bills.
Joey Bosa’s bounceback season may have priced him out of Buffalo Bills return in 2026
Bosa signed a one-year, $12.6 million contract last offseason to come play opposite Greg Rousseau in Sean McDermott’s defense, and Bills fans were certainly pleased with his efforts. The 30-year-old former 3rd-overall-pick logged five sacks, 24 pressures, and 16 quarterback hits in 15 games in his first season as a Bill.
Bosa has battled countless injuries throughout his career, so the former 4-time Pro Bowler understandably took a prove-it deal with a championship contender, and for the most part, he proved it. And that’s what’s going to make it difficult for Brandon Beane to bring back one of his most successful signings of last offseason.
A.J. Epenesa also showed he was worthy of a new contract on the defensive line, with other notable names like Matt Milano and Connor McGovern set to become free agents, as well. It’s easy to see where the Bills' finances begin to play a larger role.
While there are a number of notable veteran pass rushers set to become free agents this offseason, Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson topping the list, Bosa stands out as a player who stayed on the field and brought production. All it takes is a team like Philadelphia or the Los Angeles Rams, or some other contender in need of a veteran rusher on third downs, to come through with a cash truck big enough to satisfy Bosa’s needs at this stage of his career, and the Bills will likely be out of contention.
That said, while Epenesa should be considered as an option to bring back on the edge, he’s better as a rotational piece than a full-time starter. If Buffalo can’t bring Bosa back, edge becomes a position of need this offseason.
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With a massive need at wide receiver, and potential need at linebacker with two 32-year-olds, Millano and Shaq Thompson, seeing their contracts expire, Buffalo can ill-afford another significant need to reshape this roster for another run at the Super Bowl next year.
It’s unfortunate that Bosa’s first and possibly only season in Buffalo ended in such frustration that he threw his helmet in the tunnel after the game. He was otherwise a valuable asset to the defense, and if it is the end of the road for him in Western New York, then Bills Mafia is nothing if not thankful for his efforts this season.