Bills DE Joey Bosa's training-camp status revealed

Coming off his release from a five-year $135M extension, the past year of which included a pay cut, Bosa landed in Buffalo after a brief stint as a free agent. While he was well-compensated on the deal, worth $12.61M, his injury history likely limited the team’s commitment to a one-year tryout.

If he hits on a number of incentives, Bosa stands to earn an additional $3.51M and the potential of a more committed contract. Reaching those incentives would require Bosa to play at least 65 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps (something he hasn’t done since 2021) and register 12.0 sacks (something he hasn’t done since 2017).

Bosa’s pay cut came as a result of missing 20 of 36 games over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He missed a three-game stretch last year but played in the Charges’ final 11 games of the regular season, though he only tallied three sacks in that span. Although he was able to be on the field, injuries may have still been limiting the 29-year-old. His defensive rating in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, was the lowest of his career and ranked 71st out of 119 edge defenders.

The news of the early calf injury is certainly not encouraging, seeing as it keeps him off the field during a crucial stretch for helping to learn a new defense, but the certainty of reports that he’ll be back for training camp provide some silver lining.

With Von Miller no longer on the roster, Bosa is expected to step in across from Greg Rousseau on the starting defensive line. A.J. Epenesa will continue to run with the first team, until Bosa is ready and may continue to do so until Bosa can earn the spot. Regardless, the Bills will likely be patient with their new pass-rusher, making sure they have a healthy Bosa. Bosa intends for that version of himself to show up at training camp.