Joey Bosa is looking for a new home. The longtime Charger split with Los Angeles last offseason and signed a one-year deal with the Bills, a move that proved a good one for Buffalo. In 15 games, he had 29 tackles, five sacks, five forced fumbles and two passes defensed, becoming a menace in a smaller role in the Bills’ defensive front.

Bosa hasn’t been a double-digit sack guy since 2021, as injuries and declining play have caught up to him in recent seasons. Once one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league, he now profiles as an experienced rotational pass rusher who can come in on third downs and make the opposing quarterback’s life miserable. Teams might be reluctant to sign Bosa to play a featured role in their defense, but he can mentor younger players and he proved last season he still has plenty left in the tank. You just might want to manage his workload from an injury prevention standpoint.

I’d guess Bosa will sign another one-year deal, probably in the $10 million range. He’s at the mercenary stage of his career now, and the Bills signed Bradley Chubb from the Dolphins to replace him. Lots of teams could use a pass rusher of Bosa’s caliber, but he can afford to be choosy about his destination, and most likely only contending teams would be interested anyway. There’s not much point in a rebuilding team signing Bosa when they’d rather just play their young guys — instead, expect a contender to sign him to add some juice to a pass rush for a team in a Super Bowl window.

Bosa, 30, is a former first-round pick of the Chargers back in 2016. He finished his four-year, $25.8 million rookie contract, and Los Angeles wound up exercising his fifth-year option.

Bosa was set to play out the 2020 season under the fifth-year option when he agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension with the Chargers.

He had one year remaining on that deal and was scheduled to make a base salary of $13 million in 2025 after he renegotiated his deal before the 2024 season to remain in Los Angeles. However, the Chargers cut him last offseason and he signed a one-year, $12.6 million deal with the Bills. 

In 2025, Bosa appeared in 15 games for the Bills and recorded 29 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, five forced fumbles and two pass deflections. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are the obvious connection here. I’m far from the first one to say it, and it’s not just because Joey’s brother, Nick, is a star on San Francisco’s defense. The 49ers need more from their pass rush, especially after the retirement of Bryce Huff. With Nick Bosa missing most of last season with an injury, no 49ers player had more than Huff’s four sacks (Clelin Ferrell also had four) and they were last in the league in total sacks and pressure rate.

Nick’s return from injury is the biggest boost the 49ers could ask for at pass rusher, but they need more. Mykel Williams, the No. 11 pick in 2025, had an underwhelming rookie season, but he, too, missed a bunch of time with injury. Coming out of Georgia, he profiled as a plus run defender and athlete who needed time to develop as a pass rusher. San Francisco probably shouldn’t expect a ton from him in that department this season, though his return should help their run defense.

Outside of Nick Bosa and Williams, the 49ers don’t have a ton. They traded for Keion White from the Patriots at the trade deadline, but he’s a rotational rusher at best. Beyond just reuniting with his brother, Joey Bosa would significantly raise the floor of this pass rush. With Nick being the top option on their defensive line, Joey would become a devastating counterpunch on the other side. It’s an ideal role for him.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs had a lot of work to do on their defense this offseason, especially after trading away Trent McDuffie and losing Jaylen Watson in free agency. They got their cornerbacks in the draft in Mansoor Delane and Jadon Canady. They got their defensive tackle in Peter Woods. They even added a designated pass rusher in R Mason Thomas. But for a team with the aspirations of Kansas City, they need more off the edge.

Bosa makes a lot of sense here. Even with roster turnover and Patrick Mahomes coming off an injury, the Chiefs are a team that expects to compete for Super Bowls year in, year out. To do that, they’ll need a better pass rush this year. Outside of stalwart George Karlaftis, the cupboard is pretty bare at edge rusher. Thomas will likely be competing with 2025 third-rounder Ashton Gillotte — potentially former first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah as well — for the other starting spot.

Not only would any of those three be underwhelming starters, Anudike-Uzomah has been largely unplayable throughout his NFL career. Gillotte is a fine rotational piece and Thomas, though a promising prospect, is a rookie. If Kansas City is to make a serious run in the AFC, they need someone like Bosa to stabilize the position. He would take the pressure off of Thomas to be elite right away and would push him and Gillotte into more appropriate rotational roles, all while adding some serious juice off the edge for a Chiefs team that needs it badly.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs couldn’t have asked for a better player for them at No. 15 than Rueben Bain Jr. Not only was he fantastic value at that spot, but Tampa Bay was in desperate need of pass rush help, and he was the best in the draft. They got their star at edge defender — Bain needs to prove it in the NFL, but I strongly believe in his ability to be a difference-maker, and he should grow into that role with time.

But it may not be enough. The Buccaneers had one of the worst pass rushes in the league last year, and though Bain helps quite a bit, YaYa Diaby is the only other reliable piece at that position. Free agent signee Al-Quadin Muhammad is a quality rotational rusher, but that’s it in terms of proven production. The Bucs are high on 2025 fourth-round pick David Walker’s upside, but he missed his entire rookie season with an injury and is an unknown entity at this point.

Signing Bosa would turn pass rush from a weakness to a strength in Tampa Bay. Suddenly, fourth-option Muhammad becomes one of the best depth linemen in the league, and Bosa can play behind Bain and Diaby in more of a third-down role. Waves of pass rushers are becoming increasingly important in this league, and the Bucs only have three guys they can count on. Adding Bosa makes a ton of sense.

Other teams to watch: Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears