When the Los Angeles Chargers released Joey Bosa, NFL rumors immediately linked him to the San Francisco 49ers, and it isn't hard to see why. The 49ers roster Nick Bosa, Joey's younger brother and one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, and are (when healthy) Super Bowl contenders.
Well, so much for that. Bosa has reportedly signed a one-year, $12.6 million deal to join the Buffalo Bills. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed that he can earn as much as $15.6 million on that one-year pact.
By signing with the Bills, Bosa's motives feel abundantly clear — he's all-in on trying to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
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
Joey Bosa is all-in on beating the Chiefs by signing with the Bills
The Chiefs might've lost this past season's Super Bowl, but they've represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons and five of six overall. They've won three of the five Super Bowls they've played, including defeating Nick's 49ers twice on the biggest stage in sports.
Not only would Joey love to get some revenge against the Chiefs for his brother, but he had spent each of the first nine years of his career in the AFC West, having to deal with Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City twice a year for nearly a decade. Predictably, Bosa has won just two of his 12 games against the Chiefs in his career. He'd love for that to change in Buffalo.
As irritating as the Chiefs must be for both Bosa brothers, Kansas City is public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of Bills Mafia, and for good reason. Buffalo has faced off against Kansas City four times in the last five postseasons and has fallen short each and every time. As if that isn't painful enough, the Bills have lost three of those games by one possession, including an overtime defeat.
The Bills would love to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs, and Bosa would love the same outcome. Now, they're teaming up, giving both sides the best chance to accomplish that one goal, and his signing was a great one for Buffalo.
Bosa has always had a ton of talent. He was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and is a five-time Pro Bowler. He might not be the game-changer he once was, but he's still a very productive player. The 29-year-old racked up five sacks, five tackles for loss, and 13 QB hits in 14 games for the Chargers in 2024 while ranking 19th among 211 edge rushers with a 73.7 PFF grade against the run.
The key with this deal is that Bosa only required one year to sign in Buffalo. That is a massive win for the Bills. While impactful, he has dealt with a bevy of injuries over the course of his career, which might have proven to be problematic in a longer-term deal. If Bosa misses substantial time due to injury this year, the Bills can simply let him go next offseason - there's low risk and a chance for a very high reward for a team trying to do its best to overcome the Chiefs and win a Super Bowl.
Joey Bosa contract grade: B+