As the Buffalo Bills prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals at home this week, they could be without one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, defensive end Joey Bosa.
The 6 foot, 5 inch, 280-pound pass rusher was injured during the first scrimmage play of the second half last week when he caused a Pittsburgh Steelers' fumble and cornerback Christian Benford recovered it for a defensive touchdown. Unfortunately, it could leave the skilled DE out of the game this week and beyond due to a hamstring injury.
If Joey Bosa is to miss this Sunday's game against the Bengals, this Bills DE is ready to step up and take his place
On Nov 12, the Bills signed DE Morgan Fox to their practice squad after DE Michael Hoecht was placed on IR due to an Achilles injury. At 6 feet, 3 inches, 275 pounds, Fox is built similarly to Bosa but has the versatility of Hoecht.
He believes and lives by preparing 24/7 in case an opportunity like this presents itself when his name is called. Fox also thinks that being built for success in the NFL means acting professionally and never burning bridges with other pros in the business.
While he does sympathize with Bosa and his unfortunate injury, he also realizes that something like this is part of the game and that he must always be ready for game day. Should he be called up on Sunday, Fox will need to show everyone his versatility and ability to move around the defensive line.
Tale of the tape
Fox has totaled 15.5 sacks over the last three years and is ready to step in if needed. The Bills will need someone immediately to try to stop Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. As for Bosa, it will be a wait-and-see, as he's listed as week-to-week, and hamstring injuries can take longer to heal than expected.
The 31-year-old also describes himself as a consistent player. He doesn't think he's a superstar, but believes he is a player who will do his job on defense to make his team better, is very versatile, and will do whatever the team asks of him.
Similar to Hoecht, Fox can play anywhere on the defensive line and is a tackling machine. In 2021, when he was with the Carolina Panthers, he started nine games while playing all 17 and recorded a then-career-high 34 tackles. He also totaled a career-best 1.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
After the Panthers released him in 2022, Fox signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He achieved another career high, 38 tackles and 6.5 sacks, while starting in 12 games and once again playing in all 17 of them.
Fox was released by the Chargers in 2024 and spent this past year on the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad. He was never activated to the Falcons' 53-man roster and didn't see any snaps in the 17-game season.
Let's see if Fox gets the call and cheer him and the rest of the team on this Sunday when the Bills take on the Bengals at Orchard Park.