{"id":842617,"date":"2026-03-30T09:39:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T09:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/842617\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T09:39:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T09:39:34","slug":"bills-free-agent-option-back-on-the-table-after-deal-with-browns-dissolves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/842617\/","title":{"rendered":"Bills Free Agent Option Back on the Table After Deal With Browns Dissolves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Days ago, it appeared AJ Epenesa was on his way out the door<\/a>, headed to Cleveland upon agreeing to a free-agent deal with the Browns.<\/p>\n

Not so fast.<\/p>\n

Instead, Epenesa will remain on the open market after a reported issue with his medical evaluation.<\/p>\n

Uncomfortable situation\"A.J.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) celebrates with defensive end Javon Solomon (56) after an interception during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The snag in the agreement between the Bills\u2019 former second-round pick and the Browns was reported by\u00a0ESPN\u2019s\u00a0Daniel Oyefusi<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Browns won\u2019t be signing DE A.J. Epenesa as was initially reported, per source,\u201d posted the Browns beat reporter to X on Sunday. \u201cTeam wasn\u2019t comfortable finalizing the deal after his physical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oyefusi added in a follow-up post, \u201cEpenesa visited the team\u2019s facility last Monday, per the NFL\u2019s transaction wire. The anticipation was that Epenesa would provide depth at DE and replace Cameron Thomas, who signed with the Falcons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Injury history\"A.J.<\/p>\n

Bills edge A.J. Epenesa hits the blocking sled as he puts in reps alone on the practice field during the second day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Thursday, July 24, 2025 in Pittsford. | Shawn Dowd\/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Epenesa, whom the Bills selected with the 54th overall pick in 2020, has been durable since entering the league. This past season, the 27-year-old appeared in 16 games and has played no fewer than 14 games per season throughout his entire six-year career.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally not sure what would have led the Browns to not sign off on it,\u201d posted Dr. Kyle Trimble of\u00a0Banged Up Bills\u00a0to X. \u201cEpenesa did have a neck injury heading into the divisional round and has 2 concussions previously\u00a0among\u00a0smaller issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

The veteran edge rusher recorded just 2.5 sacks a season ago, his lowest total since 2021. Still, it will be interesting to see the Bills\u2019 interest in their former player, perhaps in a reserve role, behind Greg Rousseau and newly acquired Bradley Chubb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Latest signings\"A.J.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa (57) pressures New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Epenesa previously agreed to terms on a reported one-year, $5 million deal with the Browns. Buffalo recently welcomed back free-agent safety Damar Hamlin on a one-year pact, while veteran wide receiver Trent Sherfield also returned on a one-year deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It initially appeared as if the Bills were going away from recycling talent<\/a> year after year. However, if Epenesa returns, it will push the trend back toward the same old song-and-dance we\u2019ve seen from this front office over the past few years.<\/p>\n

With that said, in this case, it may not be a bad idea, particularly considering the cost, which should be low given what Epenesa was set to earn on his reported deal with Cleveland.\u00a0If the Bills can get him back at the same rate, it\u00a0just might be worth it.<\/p>\n

Worth considering\"A.J.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) reacts after a sack in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Buffalo isn\u2019t necessarily flush with pass rushers, and Epenesa\u2019s experience would be more than what the other players currently on the depth chart have to offer.<\/p>\n

Outside of Rousseau and Chubb, the pickings are slim. Michael Hoecht is coming off a torn Achilles, while 2025 third-round pick Landon Jackson is rehabbing a knee injury. Elsewhere on the depth chart, Buffalo is equipped with Javon Solomon and Andre Jones Jr., but neither is a realistic option entering the 2026 campaign.<\/p>\n

If the Bills draft a high-level talent to supplement their presence on the edge, the need for a player of Epenesa\u2019s caliber won\u2019t be so urgent. But as things stand today, he would be an upgrade over the team\u2019s current depth.<\/p>\n

\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Days ago, it appeared AJ Epenesa was on his way out the door, headed to Cleveland upon agreeing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":842618,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2048],"tags":[215,214,53,2086,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-842617","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-buffalo-bills","8":"tag-bills","9":"tag-buffalo","10":"tag-buffalo-bills","11":"tag-buffalobills","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116317466856311336","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/842617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=842617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/842617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/842618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=842617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=842617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=842617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}