For more than half a decade, the Buffalo Bills have searched relentlessly for an answer to their pass-rushing problems. Through every iteration of their contending window during the Josh Allen era, one glaring weakness has persisted: an inability to consistently pressure the quarterback when it matters most. From Trent Murphy to Mario Addison, from a past-his-prime Von Miller to the latest experiment, Joey Bosa, the franchise has repeatedly swung and missed on expensive, underwhelming free-agent additions. Each brought a familiar name and a fading resume. Each offered flashes of what once was, but never enough to move the needle in January.
Now, as the Bills prepare for another critical offseason, change is in the air. Jim Leonhard takes over as defensive coordinator, bringing with him an entirely new philosophy for generating pressure. His system prioritizes versatility, movement, and scheme over pure star power. In that context, Joey Bosa simply does not fit. The team must resist the temptation to run it back with a player whose best days are clearly behind him. Here are five compelling reasons why Buffalo should let Joey Bosa walk in free agency and never look back.
1. Age and Decline
One of the most persistent criticisms of the Bills’ approach to building a pass rush is their preference for veterans past their prime. Joey Bosa fits that mold perfectly. He will turn 31 this summer, an age where most edge rushers begin a steep decline in explosiveness and durability. While 31 is not ancient by NFL standards, it is well beyond the typical peak for players at his position. Bosa was once a transcendent talent, a Defensive Rookie of the Year and a four-time Pro Bowler whose combination of power and technical skill made him one of the league’s most feared defenders. But that version of Bosa no longer exists. The burst off the line, the ability to bend the edge, the suddenness in his movements—all have diminished with time and wear. The Bills have tried the “aging veteran” approach repeatedly, and it has never yielded sustainable results. Younger players offer greater upside, longer upside, and a better chance at building something lasting. Bosa represents the opposite: a short-term patch with a low ceiling.
2. Declining Production
Even setting aside his age, the raw numbers tell a troubling story. Bosa has not recorded a double-digit sack season since 2021. In the four years since, he has surpassed five sacks in a season only once. That is not the track record of a difference-maker; it is the profile of a complementary player living off reputation. During his time in Buffalo, Bosa showed occasional flashes—a pressure here, a tackle for loss there—but the consistency never materialized. Worse, he was often caught off guard by basic offensive line stunts and games, the kind of veteran nuance a player with his experience should diagnose and defeat instinctively. It is not an indictment of his career to acknowledge that he is no longer the player who terrorized offenses as a rookie. But in a salary-cap league, teams cannot afford to pay for past performance. They must invest in future production, and Bosa’s recent history suggests the well is running dry. In the postseason, where the Bills needed him most, he registered just three tackles and no other stats—another quiet performance in a long line of playoff absences from supposed difference-makers.
3. Persistent Injury Concerns
To his credit, Bosa was active for 15 regular-season games and the entire playoff run. Availability, as the saying goes, is the best ability, and Bosa deserves recognition for being on the field. But being active and being effective are two very different things. Throughout the season, Bosa played through various ailments that clearly limited his explosiveness and impact. He was a body on the field, not a force. His injury history remains a significant red flag, and the risk of a more serious setback looms with every snap. The Bills have lived this nightmare before. They watched Von Miller return too soon from a torn ACL and struggle to make an impact. They saw Tre’Davious White battle through injuries only to fall short of his All-Pro standards. Banking on an aging player with an extensive injury history to suddenly stay healthy and produce is not a strategy; it is a gamble. Bills fans deserve better than another season of hoping a veteran can recapture past glory.
4. Unjustifiable Cost
Money talks in the NFL, and the financial case for moving on from Joey Bosa is overwhelming. Last season, he played on a one-year deal worth $12.6 million. For that price, Buffalo received three sacks and limited overall impact. That equates to roughly $2.5 million per sack—a rate that would bankrupt any team if applied across the roster. This offseason, Bosa is projected to command an average annual value around $13.7 million. Even if the Bills could negotiate a slightly lower figure, the fundamental math does not change. They would be paying premium prices for replacement-level production. The cost argument inevitably circles back to the production issue. If Bosa had delivered eight or nine sacks, if he had been a consistent disruptive force, the price tag might be easier to swallow. But he did not. The Bills need to allocate their limited cap space wisely, and pouring millions into a declining, unproductive edge rusher is the opposite of wise. They must find both cheaper and better options, whether through the draft, undervalued free agents, or internal development.
5. Scheme Mismatch
Perhaps the most underappreciated reason to let Bosa go is the philosophical shift happening on defense. Jim Leonhard’s system is predicated on flexibility, movement, and disguise. He relies heavily on outside linebackers who can drop into coverage, rush from multiple angles, and adapt to offensive looks on the fly. Joey Bosa is a traditional hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. He is at his best when asked to do one thing: line up wide and attack the edge. Asking him to adapt to a more fluid, multifaceted role would be asking a square peg to fit a round hole. As the Bills undergo a coaching and personnel renaissance, there is no room for another expensive, aging, scheme-specific player who cannot deliver consistent production. Leonhard deserves the chance to build a defense in his image, with players who fit his vision. Bosa, for all his past accomplishments, does not belong in that picture.
In the end, the decision should be simple. Joey Bosa is a declining player with an extensive injury history, diminishing production, a high price tag, and an uncertain fit in a new defensive scheme. The Bills have made this mistake before—chasing names instead of building a coherent, sustainable pass rush. It is time to break that cycle. Let Bosa walk. Look toward the future. The answer to Buffalo’s pass-rushing problems will not be found in the past.
