The Buffalo Bills signed Joey Bosa to a one-year, $12 million contract this spring. Bosa was Buffalo’s marquee signing for the defense this offseason. The hope is that Bosa can make a major impact on the defensive line in 202, helping elevate the defense and finally bring the Bills back to the Super Bowl for the first time in over three decades.

The Bills are taking a calculated risk with signing Bosa. The veteran pass rusher has played in only 28 games total over the past three seasons. He has missed time due to groin, foot, and hip injuries during this time.

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Still, the allure of bringing a pass rush specialist was too much to overlook for Buffalo. A healthy Bosa could catapult Buffalo’s defense into the elite range in the NFL.

With all of this in mind, Bosa has been named a player who has “a ton riding on the next six months” by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. Barnwell highlights Bosa’s current situation with the Bills:

For Bosa, the time to prove he can still wreck opposing quarterbacks is right now. Having turned 30 this month, he is at a career crossroads. After missing significant time over his final three seasons in Los Angeles, he was forced to take a pay cut to stay on the roster in 2024 before being cut this spring. With the Bills still looking for a special pass rusher to get them over the hump, he essentially replaced Miller on the roster by signing a one-year deal for $12 million, with incentives that could add up to $3 million more if he stays healthy and racks up 12 sacks.

Bosa has reached double-digit sacks in four seasons. Bosa has completed a full slate of games three times in his NFL career; in each season, he exceeded the 10-sack total. Bosa has earned five Pro Bowl nods, and he was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.

Bosa slots in as the top right defensive end on Buffalo’s depth chart. His presence should help the defense as a whole. Greg Rousseau, who will play the edge position opposite Bosa, should see an uptick in his production, as offensive lines will need to adjust for multiple promising pass rushers. Furthermore, the Bills should be able to get pressure from four defensive linemen, opening up options for Buffalo’s pass defense.

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This, of course, can only happen if Bosa is on the field.

The Joey Bosa era in Buffalo has started ominously, as he suffered a calf injury on the second day of OTAs. Bosa has returned to health and participated in all of the Bills training camp sessions thus far.

Buffalo will undoubtedly monitor Bosa’s reps during training camp, doing everything in the team’s power to keep him on the field.

Bosa has a lot to gain this year, if he can put together a healthy and productive 2025 campaign. Barnwell adds, “If Bosa can stay healthy and make a significant dent on opposing quarterbacks during a deep Buffalo playoff run, he would be in position to sign one more deal with a significant multiyear guarantee. If not, he’s probably going to be looking at more one-year pacts.”

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This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: ESPN names Bills Joey Bosa a player under most pressure in 2025 season