When the Buffalo Bills scooped up Joey Bosa on a one-year deal in early 2025, people had thoughts. Most of them involved his health. Or his age. Or the fact that he was leaving the Chargers after nearly a decade. But if you actually look at Joey Bosa career stats from a bird's-eye view, you start to see a weirdly consistent picture of a guy who is elite when he’s on the grass and a total ghost when he’s not.
He's basically the NFL's version of a high-end luxury car. Beautiful to watch, faster than it has any right to be, but man, it spends a lot of time in the shop.
The 2025 season in Buffalo was a bit of a reset for him. He finished the regular season with 5.0 sacks and tied for the league lead in forced fumbles with five. He isn't the 12-sack-a-year monster he was in 2017, but he’s still causing absolute chaos. Honestly, 77.0 career sacks in roughly 120 games is a pace most edge rushers would sell their souls for.
The Rookie Explosion and the "What If" Years
Bosa didn't just walk into the league; he kicked the door down. He missed the first four games of 2016 because of a contract holdout and a hamstring issue. Then he showed up against the Raiders and looked like he’d been playing pro ball for ten years. Two sacks in 27 snaps. He ended that year with 10.5 sacks in just 12 games.
The following year, 2017, was probably his peak "force of nature" form. He stayed healthy for all 16 games and put up 12.5 sacks. You've gotta remember he was doing this while the Chargers were moving from San Diego to LA, playing in a soccer stadium, and generally being a mess.
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But then the injuries started.
- 2018: Missed 9 games (Foot)
- 2022: Missed 12 games (Groin)
- 2023: Missed 8 games (Foot)
When people talk about his career, they usually focus on the missed time. It’s a fair point. He’s missed over 40 games in his career. That’s more than two full seasons of his prime left on the trainer’s table. Yet, despite that, he’s still hovering near the top of the active sack leaders list.
Why the Sack Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story
If you’re only looking at the sack column in a box score, you’re missing about 60% of what makes Bosa valuable. His hands are arguably the best in the league. He doesn't just run around guys; he deconstructs them.
In 2021, he had a career-high 7 forced fumbles. Think about that. Nearly every time he got to the quarterback, he wasn't just looking for the tackle—he was hunting the ball. That trend continued in 2025 with Buffalo. Even as his pure speed has dipped slightly at age 30, his "knack" for the strip-sack has stayed razor-sharp.
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He’s also a sneaky-good run defender. Most "speed rushers" are liabilities when a team runs straight at them. Bosa isn't. He has 372 total tackles over his career. For an edge defender, that's a lot of grunt work.
The Buffalo Shift and the 2026 Outlook
Heading into 2026, Bosa is a free agent again. His one-year "prove it" deal in Buffalo was a success in the sense that he played 15 games—his highest total since 2021. He showed he can still be a starter on a championship-caliber defense.
The market for a 31-year-old Joey Bosa is going to be fascinating. Teams like the Lions or even a return to a revamped Chargers defense (if the money makes sense) could be on the table. He has earned over $155 million in his career, so he's not hurting for cash. At this point, it's about the ring and the Hall of Fame resume.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking Bosa for fantasy or just trying to win an argument at the bar, keep these things in mind:
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- Look at the "Games Played" first. If Bosa plays 14+ games, he is almost guaranteed 6-8 sacks and at least 3 forced fumbles. The efficiency is there; the availability is the variable.
- Watch the "Pressure" stats. Sites like PFF often rank Bosa higher than his sack totals suggest because he forces quarterbacks to throw early or scramble into other defenders.
- Check the injury report for "Soft Tissue." Throughout his career, hamstring and groin issues have been the precursors to his long absences. If he’s on the report with a "tweaked" muscle in Wednesday's practice, be wary.
The reality is that Joey Bosa is a Hall of Fame talent who has had a "Very Good" career instead of a "Great" one solely because of his BIOS (Body is Out of Service). But even a hampered Bosa is usually the best player on the defensive line.
For those looking to track his next move, keep an eye on teams with high cap space and a need for veteran leadership on the edge. His 2025 performance proved he’s still got the hands to make life miserable for any left tackle in the league.
Next Steps: You should check out the current 2026 NFL Free Agency tracker to see which teams have the most cap space to potentially sign a veteran like Bosa. Alternatively, look at his brother Nick's stats to see how the "Bosa Blueprint" is holding up in San Francisco.