When the Los Angeles Chargers released defensive end Joey Bosa last week, it seemed like he would head a couple hundred miles north and join the San Francisco 49ers.
After all, the Niners have been retooling their roster so far this offseason, and Bosa’s brother Nick Bosa has been with San Francisco since being drafted with the second overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
However, it was not to be. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Bosa was signing a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.
ESPN source: Five-time Pro-Bowl DE Joey Bosa reached agreement tonight on a one-year, $12.6 million deal with the Buffalo Bills. pic.twitter.com/u7R6wdDGRf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2025
Bosa had spent his entire career with the Chargers and was one of the franchise’s last links to their time in San Diego. He was drafted with the third overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. He finished the year with 10.5 sacks and won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award in the Chargers’ final season in America’s Finest City.
Bosa recorded 72.5 career sacks with the Chargers, the second most in team history behind Leslie O’Neal. He was named to five Pro Bowls while with Los Angeles.
Injuries have limited Bosa to 28 games in the past two seasons. The one-year deal represents a fresh start for the 29-year-old and a chance to return to form on a Buffalo defensive line that includes impact players Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver.
Buffalo released Von Miller last week, so Bosa will likely be Miller’s replacement on the edge.
The Bills and Chargers don’t play each other in the 2025 regular season, so Bosa’s first game against his old team will have to wait until at least the postseason.
