PFF Tabs Buckeye Legend for Bounce-Back Year, But Another Injury Clouds Outlook

A new season brings about new opportunities and a chance to rewrite the narrative regurgitated in social media takes.

Pro Football Focus recently took a look at all 32 teams and highlighted one player from each franchise who needs a bounce-back season in 2025. Many of the players featured in the piece are just looking to bounce back from a lackluster 2024 season. While a few former Buckeyes were included, one Ohio State legend is looking to get back to form after several disappointing seasons.

It’s been a tumultuous career for the elder Bosa brother. Despite proving his abilities as an elite pass rusher, Joey Bosa has had a career filled with injuries that have disrupted his production and often his team’s success.

PFF graded Bosa with a career-low 61.1 PFF grade for 2024. Even that low grade was bolstered by his run defense production rather than his pass rushing abilities. Still, Bosa did record 5 sacks in nine starts while battling injuries throughout the season.

Bosa hasn’t played a full season since 2019, before the NFL moved to a 17-game schedule. Still, in just 93 starts, averaging over 9 games per season, Bosa has 72 career sacks. He’s always productive, he just isn’t always available.

After nine seasons with the Chargers, Bosa is in Buffalo for the 2025 season, taking Von Miller’s place as the dedicated veteran pass rusher opposite of Gregory Rousseau. Miller was a starter in his first season with the Bills, but over the past two years he played just 33% of the team’s defensive snaps. Such a snap count sounds alluring to a player with the injury history that Bosa carries.

Unfortunately, things have already gotten off to a rocky start for Bosa in Buffalo. The Bills began their OTA program on Tuesday, and it didn’t take long for Bosa to leave the practice field with an injury, this time a calf injury that will likely sideline him until training camp.

It’s hard to say what exactly would constitute a bounce-back season for Bosa. Bills and Buckeye fans alike just want to see him on the field getting after quarterbacks, after all. But even playing in 14 total games last year wasn’t going to sway the discourse surrounding him, and it didn't. Recording double-digit sacks would grab some attention, but he hasn’t done that since 2021, and Miller didn’t accomplish that with the Bills in his three seasons there either.