The Buffalo Bills signed Joey Bosa last season hoping he could turn back the clock.
He did. Once the clock reached the fourth quarter.
Bosa remains unsigned after spending last season in Buffalo, but a new Pro Football Focus ranking shows the veteran pass rusher was still among the NFL’s best closers.
PFF ranked Bosa as the league’s highest-graded fourth-quarter and overtime performer among players who elevated their performance late in games during the 2025 season.
“There may not have been a bigger gap between early-game and late-game performance in 2025 than the one displayed by Joey Bosa,” PFF wrote. “After several injury-shortened seasons, it is fair to wonder whether his peak years are behind him, yet he still looked like a game-changing pass rusher once the fourth quarter arrived.”
PFF’s list was designed to highlight players who elevated their performance late in games, not simply the NFL’s best overall players. Players who ranked among the top 20 overall by PFF grade were excluded if their fourth-quarter production mirrored their dominance throughout the game.
That removed players such as Josh Allen, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson from consideration.
Bosa finished with a 91.8 PFF grade in the fourth quarter and overtime after earning a 59.5 grade during the first three quarters.
Bosa recorded 23 of his 54 pressures in the fourth quarter or overtime, according to PFF. Three of his five sacks came in those situations, and his pressure rate jumped from 11.2% in the first three quarters to 22.6% late in games.
Only Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson had a higher pressure rate in those situations.
Bosa also led the NFL with five forced fumbles last season. Two of them came in the fourth quarter.
The late-game production came during what could end up being Bosa’s only season in Buffalo.
The Bills signed the former No. 3 overall pick to a one-year, $12.6 million contract last offseason after he spent the first nine years of his career with the Chargers.
Bosa recorded 29 tackles, five sacks and five forced fumbles in 15 games with Buffalo. He has 77 sacks in 10 NFL seasons.
The Bills moved in a different direction this offseason under new head coach Joe Brady and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Buffalo signed Bradley Chubb and drafted T.J. Parker in the second round while transitioning to a 3-4 defensive scheme. Bosa remains one of several former Bills starters still available in free agency.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Former Bills starter ranked NFL’s best fourth-quarter player but remains unsigned
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
