Joey Bosa: Where Will He Land in Free Agency?

Joey Bosa, a seasoned pass rusher, is now a free agent. The Los Angeles Chargers recently freed up over 25 million dollars in salary cap space by releasing him. This move opens up intriguing possibilities for several NFL teams. Bosa, despite recent injury issues, still managed to record five sacks last season. He remains a formidable force on the edge. The Chargers' decision to release him has sparked a lot of interest. Bosa, a veteran pass rusher, is now on the market. This means several NFL teams are looking to add him to their roster. The New Orleans Saints are one of the teams that could benefit from Bosa's skills. They recently hired Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator, who previously coached Bosa with the Chargers. The Saints have a need for pass rushers, with Chase Young and Payton Turner entering free agency. This makes Bosa a strong candidate for the Saints. However, the Saints' financial situation is a bit of a mess. This could make it challenging to sign Bosa. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another team that could benefit from Bosa's skills. They drafted defensive linemen in the first rounds of the 2021 and 2023 drafts. However, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is likely headed for free agency. Calijah Kancey is best suited to do damage along the interior. Veteran Shaquil Barrett only played two games last season. This leaves a need for a pass rusher opposite Yaya Diaby. Anthony Nelson is also an unrestricted free agent and is more of a rotation player. Bosa would be an ideal fit for the Bucs. He could help the younger players like Diaby learn how to rush the passer. Bosa is also from Fort Lauderdale. This means Tampa Bay might feel more like home than the other teams listed. The Chicago Bears are off to a big start this offseason. They have made a pair of moves to rebuild the offensive line in front of Caleb Williams. They traded for linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. These moves fit well with the vision of new head coach Ben Johnson. His tenure in Detroit was marked by the Lions having one of the best offensive lines in football. Adding Bosa would improve Chicago’s pass rush immediately. Pairing him with Montez Sweat would give the Bears two pass rushers capable of generating pressure off the edges. The Cincinnati Bengals are another team that could benefit from Bosa's skills. Trey Hendrickson led the NFL with 17. 5 sacks a season ago. The rest of the team combined for 18. 5. Complicating matters is the fact that two of those sacks just walked out the door. Sam Hubbard decided to retire from the NFL at the age of 29. Defensive line has been a popular pick for the Bengals in mock drafts this season. Adding Bosa would address that need. It would also give Cincinnati the option of addressing the interior of the defensive front with a pick like Walter Nolen in the first round. The Bengals recently granted Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade.

The Philadelphia Eagles are another team that could benefit from Bosa's skills. They made news this week, inking Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun to new contracts. But the Eagles are also set to lose some talent along the defensive line. Brandon Graham, who reportedly re-tore his triceps muscle in Super Bowl LIX, is expected to retire. Both Josh Sweat and Milton Williams are set to hit free agency. With Sweat in particular expected to command a big deal. Roseman could look to replace some of his production next season with a deal for Bosa. The Green Bay Packers are a sleeper team for Bosa. They need help boosting their pass rush on the outside. They finished 26th in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate. The group failed to show up in their playoff loss. Bosa fits their athletic profile on the edge. He isn't the most athletically gifted at this stage of his career. But he's technically proficient enough to win on the outside through sheer willpower and technique. The Packers don’t really have a lot of free agents on their defensive line. Finding a spot in the rotation for Bosa would be the task. But again: Bosa is at the stage of his career where a rotational pass rush guy should be his role. The Packers could use all the help they can get. The Detroit Lions lost pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending leg injury in mid-October. He still led the team in sacks, with 7. 5. That speaks to the lack of pass rushing options in Detroit outside of Hutchinson. The Lions expect to get their former first-round pick back to start the 2025 season. Adding another option (or two) on the edge is a priority for general manager Brad Holmes this offseason. Bosa would be a smart investment for the Lions, even at this point in his career. The San Francisco 49ers are the top contenders for Bosa. They have a strong defensive line. Adding Bosa would pair him with his brother Nick. The two have never played together in either the NFL or college. They have long expressed a desire to line up on the same defensive line in the league. This might make the older Bosa brother willing to take something of a hometown discount to sign with San Francisco. Plus, the 49ers’ depth up front on defense could put the older Bosa in position to be more of a rotational player. This would keep him fresh for the entire season and mitigate the injury risks that have hampered him recently.

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