Progression isn't linear in the NFL, and Greg Rousseau is proving it. The Buffalo Bills defender is in the middle of a breakout season — six years into his career. After multiple years of failing to become the pass-rushing ace the Bills hoped he could be, he's finally realizing his full potential.
Rousseau's hot start has clearly caught league-wide attention. Leading the league in sacks by a significant margin, he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month.
This breakout isn't just a flash in the pan, either. Rousseau has everything he needs to turn his productive start into much more, potentially even taking home more notable NFL awards.
Bills' Greg Rousseau named AFC Defensive Player of the Month
So far, Rousseau has logged six sacks in three games. The next-closest player is Houston Texans star Will Anderson Jr., who has four. Per PFF, Rousseau also ranks second in pressures with 22 and is tied for first in quarterback hits with eight.
Rousseau's career-high for sacks in a season is currently eight. He's on pace to beat that by the middle of October.
This pace likely isn't sustainable, at least not completely. Rousseau is currently on pace to log 32 sacks on the year, which would shatter the record that Myles Garrett set in 2025. But even if he slows down a bit, the Bills defender has shown he has what it takes to be one of the NFL's most dangerous pass rushers.
His impact hasn't just come as a pass rusher. Rousseau has 12 run stops so far, also on pace to set a career high.
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's scheme is unlocking something in Rousseau, something that had already been brewing for years. Leonhard has let Rousseau play a more direct, aggressive style of defense compared to the more conservative role he played under Sean McDermott.
The edge rusher has been thrilled with the scheme so far. Speaking with Jordan Schultz on The Schultz Report, he said, "I feel like sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the numbers, but I feel like I was rushing good before in the previous few years. But I'd definitely say, man, the scheme's been great. Just being able to stand up and kind of get on my angle and kind of have more space, be able to get to my length more."
In Leonhard's downhill scheme, Rousseau is unleashed to put his explosiveness and pass-rushing prowess to use. He's getting after the quarterback at a historic rate, and he's only getting started. If he can maintain anything close to this level of production, he could be in line for Defensive Player of the Year by the end of the season.
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