When the Buffalo Bills agreed to terms with edge rusher Joey Bosa last March, he was the replacement that the Bills needed after they released Von Miller. Up until this past season, Bosa had spent his entire career with the Chargers, where he had a ton of success and a ton of injuries.Â
He was released by the Chargers and he needed a fresh start. The Bills were super quiet about their interest in Bosa, but managed to land him on a one-year deal worth $12.6 million. It gave Bosa the chance to join another contender north of $10 million, but he was entering a prove-it deal for sure.
Bosa played in 15 regular season games, as well as Buffalo’s two playoff games. He showed that he was able to stay healthy throughout the season, and he managed to lead the league with 5 forced fumbles. He also had 29 total tackles and 5 sacks. Bouncing back in 2025, Bosa has earned himself atleast one more solid payday from someone, it just may not be from the Bills.
Joey Bosa listed as free agent fit for a 2026 Bills opponent
Matt Bowen from ESPN put together a list of the best fits for the top 50 players who are set to hit free agency. Bosa was ranked at No. 38 and his listed best fit was with the Detroit Lions, who the Bills will face at home in 2026.
"The Lions had 16 sacks on third down last season (tied for 15th in the league), so Detroit could add Bosa to elevate its sub-package pass rush. Bosa, who had five sacks with the Bills in 2025, fits well opposite Aidan Hutchinson with his speed-to-power production and the effort level to clean up late in plays." said Bowen.
It definitely does make sense for Bosa to join a team like the Lions, especially now that the Bills are heading in a different direction on defense with Jim Leonhard in charge. It would have been very surprising if the Bills and Bosa reunited on another deal, but never say never.
If Bosa does indeed leave, the Bills are going to have to find a pass rusher opposite of Greg Rousseau. Their pass rush was better in 2025, but it still couldn’t close out as many games as fans had wished for.
Brandon Beane has to bring in another veteran to replace Joey Bosa. If not, Leonhard’s defense won’t be as aggressive as he would like it to be.