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The New England Patriots were urged to sign former AFC East rival Joey Bosa at edge rusher, filling a potential roster gap.

The edge rusher position has become a concern for the New England Patriots. With K’Lavon Chaisson walking in free agency and the Patriots still not signing second-round pick Gabe Jacas, it looks like that may end up being a key gap on their roster to fill in.

With that in mind, the Patriots were recently urged to sign Joey Bosa by Aaliyan Mohammed of NESN. Bosa, of course, most recently played for AFC East rival, the Buffalo Bills, and is a five-time Pro Bowl selection who was Defensive Rookie of the Year back in 2016.

“The Patriots may want to consider adding another pass rusher, even though Mike Vrabel has noted he likes the group the team has. Joey Bosa is still available in free agency and could be a great depth piece at the very least,” Mohammed wrote.

“Bosa spent last season with the Buffalo Bills, and he is not the player he once was, but he is still a productive player. He had five sacks and led the league with five forced fumbles. He also had nine tackles for a loss. Bosa would be a cheap addition and could be used in clear passing situations to get after the quarterback.”

In 2025, Bosa played in 15 regular season games and had 5.0 sacks and 9 tackles for a loss. He also led the NFL in forced fumbles, with 5 on the season. His most recent Pro Bowl season was in 2024, when he was with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Per Pro Football Focus, Bosa is valued at a one-year contract worth about $11 million. Approximately $10 million is projected to be guaranteed.

“They ranked near the bottom of the league in sacks last regular season, so adding pass rushers should not be something they shy away from,” Mohammed wrote.

New England Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel Addressed Edge Rusher

The concerns about the edge rusher position are far from unfounded for the New England Patriots. Despite that, head coach Mike Vrabel has largely dismissed the need to add someone there, praising the players who the Patriots do have in that room.

“No… that’s a good group. I’m excited about adding Dre [Jones], the development of [Elijah] Ponder and [Bradyn] Swinson, added [Jesse] Luketa and some young guys,” Vrabel said.

In 2025, the Patriots had 35 sacks. That was tied for 24th in the NFL in overall sacks. For comparison, the Denver Broncos, who the Patriots played in the AFC Championship Game, were first in sacks with 68 on the season. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams, who are the Super Bowl favorite in 2026, emphasized edge rusher this offseason by trading for Myles Garrett.

Still, the Patriots did add Dre’Mont Jones this offseason and, presumably, Gabe Jacas will join the team at some point soon. On top of that, players like Harold Landry should be healthier too. So, there’s room to get better.

The Patriots Have Consistently Been Connected to Edge Rushers

The Patriots being connected to an edge rusher like Joey Bosa is nothing new. In recent weeks, New England has consistently been connected to edge rushers via trade and free agency.

That recently included being connected to Maxx Crosby. Another stud edge rusher, he would be a trade candidate for the Patriots, and he likely wouldn’t come cheap in the trade, either.

In free agency, it was suggested they could go for veterans besides Joey Bosa, like Jadeveon Clowney. Another veteran, Cameron Jordan, was also a recent free agency suggestion for the Patriots.

Regardless of who the Patriots end up landing on, there does seem to be an outside consensus about New England. The Patriots need help at edge rusher, and they have plenty of options to choose from.