The Miami Dolphins were almost in on landing top defensive end free agent Joey Bosa until they weren't. It couldn't have gone worse.
Early Tuesday morning, reports surfaced that the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers were the odds-on favorites to land the former Los Angeles Chargers standout. Both teams reportedly offered Bosa just under $10 million, leaving Bosa with a big decision: play with his brother in San Francisco or return to his South Florida roots.
Bosa opted to do neither, but the Dolphins got the worst part of the deal. The oft-injured DE is signing with the Buffalo Bills, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
The deal is reported to be for one year with potentially more than $12 million. It's not clear if the Dolphins were given a chance to match, but given his injury history, it's probably a good thing they did not.
The bad part of the whole thing is that Miami was on the move, but now, they will have to face him twice a year. The Bills already have the Dolphins' number since Josh Allen arrived, and this won't make it any easier.
Miami Dolphins and the Bosa name just don't mix as veteran DE signs with the Buffalo Bills
Bosa's dad, John, was a member of the Dolphins' defense, and needless to say, he wasn't very good. In fact, the elder Bosa was so bad that he is considered one of the worst draft picks in team history. At least Miami won't make the same mistake twice.
Over the course of the last several seasons, Bosa has missed significant time on the field. He missed three games last season, eight the year before, and 12 the year before that. In 2024, he still managed to make his fifth Pro Bowl.
It would have been a decent addition to the roster, but Miami is strapped with the salary cap, and every move has to be well thought out. Adding Bosa looks great on paper, but given the Dolphins' current roster of M.A.S.H. unit defensive ends and outside linebackers, adding another one with health concerns wouldn't have been good.