The Buffalo Bills biggest single signing this offseason was defensive end Joey Bosa. Once seen as one of the premiere talents in the National Football League, Bosa’s fall from grace has been headlined by injuries. The pass rusher has only appeared in 28 games over the last three seasons combined, amassing just 14 sacks.
It is for this reason that his lofty contract was no longer worth while for the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bills got him at a fair price if he can return to his double digit sack form. But Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox isn’t quite sold.
“Even if the Buffalo Bills get respectable production out of pass-rusher Joey Bosa, the five-time Pro Bowler could be viewed as a bust,” Knox writes. “This is because name recognition largely outweighs production at this point in the 30-year-old’s career.”
On the bright side, 2024 was technically his healthiest season in a while. He appeared in 14 games for the Chargers, but it was clear the once great quarterback killer was on a snap count, more on that to come.
“Bosa had solid numbers with the Los Angeles Chargers last season (5 sacks, 19 QB pressures), but he’s still an aging defender who has appeared in only 28 games over the past three years, Knox concludes. “Bosa may struggle to live up to his $12.6 million price point in 2025, and those expecting him to be the regular game-wrecker he was early in his career will likely be disappointed.”
Joey Bosa’s Snap Count And Injury History
30-years-old is certainly not too old to sack quarterbacks in this great league. However, the injury history is very concerning. Last year in particular it was a nagging hip that forced Bosa to play his lowest snap share of his career.
“Bosa comes off of a 2024 season in which he battled a hip injury that gave him sciatic nerve pain and complications,” wrote Alexander Insdorf for the Bolt Beat. “While he technically played in 14 games, Bosa was snap limited and came out during games on a few occasions due to reaggravations. In Bosa’s four seasons in which he’s played more 12+ games, 503 defensive snaps in 2024 was the lowest snap count in any of those years.”
In 2023 it was a broken foot that put him on the injured reserve in Week 11. The season before that, a grade 3 torn groin required a surgical fix mid season. There’s also a handful of concussions, back sprains, and neck injuries on Bosa’s write up.
Bosa Injured In OTAs
For anyone hoping it would be a drama free stint in Buffalo, the news coming out of OTAs was less than comforting. After just a few weeks with the team it was announced that Bosa would miss OTAs with a calf pull. Obviously the team was erring on the side of caution, but it still reads like a bad omen.
According to draftsharks.com, Bosa has a 78.9% chance of injury in 2025. This could be something simple like another lame calf, still, the site projects Bosa will miss more than three games this season.
I see Bosa’s season playing out similarly to Von Miller. Yes, he is making a lot of money. But if you ask any Bills fan, the team has already stamped a ticket to the post season. If you can keep Bosa healthy until January and then really let him off the leash, the benefit of fresh legs might change a few games.
