The former Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher made an unexpected move on Tuesday night.
News broke last night like a folding table at a snowy tailgate when former Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Joey Bosa signed with the Buffalo Bills. The deal will reportedly pay the five-time Pro Bowl selection around $12.6 million for one year. The news that Bosa was heading to the Bills came after multiple reports had indicated the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers were the top contenders to land the 2016 third-overall draft pick. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini broke the news.
Bosa’s father played for the Dolphins, who selected John Bosa with the 16th-overall pick in the 1987 draft. Nick Bosa, Joey’s brother, was the second-overall pick by the 49ers in 2019, giving Bosa family ties to both clubs. Both teams reportedly made similar offers to Bosa, but both were under $10 million per season.
The Athletic’s Michael Silver indicated Miami was offering less than $8 million.
Bosa was selected to the 2024 Pro Bowl, but he only played in 14 games, starting nine of them, with five sacks and 22 tackles. He has played a combined 28 games over the last three years with a total of 14 sacks. He is still a respected name who can be effective getting after the quarterback, but health questions are valid when it comes to his availability.
The Dolphins being in play for Bosa was an interesting possibility from the start. Miami restructured linebacker Bradley Chubb’s contract to free up salary cap space and keep the pass rusher in Miami. To then turn around and use that same money on another veteran pass rusher, joining a group that already includes Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Chop Robinson at the top of the depth chart, did not seem like a logical move for a team with several needs still to be filled.
Adding Bosa would have been a splash move to excite the fan base, but it may not have been the best use of the limited salary cap space the Dolphins have in 2025. Of course, losing Bosa to an AFC East division rival hurts, but there are still plenty of questions about Bosa’s availability and production as he heads into his age-30 season, even as Bills fans celebrate the signing.
