Five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa reached agreement Tuesday night on a one-year, $12.6 million deal with the Buffalo Bills, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Los Angeles Chargers released Bosa on Wednesday, cutting ties with their longest-tenured player and one of the best in franchise history. After making four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons, Bosa has been plagued by injuries since but was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl in 2024 as an alternate.
Bosa immediately becomes a starter on the Bills’ defensive line, joining defensive end Greg Rousseau, who was signed to a four-year extension Saturday. The Bills released pass rusher Von Miller on Sunday, saving $8.4 million in cap space, and restructured defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s contract, sources said.
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In adding Bosa, who will be 30 when the season begins, there are similarities to the 2022 signing of Miller, an experienced and accomplished pass rusher who the Bills hoped would boost the defense. However, Miller was signed to a six-year deal compared with Bosa, who was signed for a year.
Defensive line was an offseason need for the Bills, who at times had trouble pressuring the quarterback, as spotlighted in the AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills had 39 sacks in 2024, down from 54 in 2023, but had two more takeaways in 2024 than in 2023 (32 to 30). Bills general manager Brandon Beane emphasized this offseason that the team believes in building from the lines, and he has invested in the group while also not spending too much money to forfeit future seasons.
The Bills began addressing the defensive line Monday by agreeing to a three-year deal with former Los Angeles Rams defensive end Michael Hoecht.
Bosa’s deal is the latest move in what has been a busy offseason for the Bills, who have reached extensions with wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and quarterback Josh Allen, who received a record $250 million guaranteed. The extensions created cap room this year and helps the team get ahead of building for the future. The Bills have agreed to terms with outside free agents wide receiver Joshua Palmer and Hoecht as well.
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The No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft, Bosa was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year that season after posting 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He set an NFL record by recording 19 sacks in his first 20 career games.
The Chargers rewarded Bosa with a five-year, $135 million contract extension in 2020, a deal that at the time was the richest for a defensive player in NFL history. But he has played in just 28 games over the past three seasons due to injuries.
For his career, Bosa has totaled 343 tackles, 157 quarterback hits, 87 tackles for loss, 17 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries in 107 regular-season games. His 72 career sacks rank second in Chargers history, behind only Leslie O’Neal (105.5).
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg and Kris Rhim contributed to this report.
