It's not SoCal, but Buffalo 'feels like home now' for Bills' new 5x Pro Bowl DE

It's been a drastic change for Buffalo Bills' defensive end Joey Bosa, but it's been a welcome one thus far.

Signing a free-agent contract after being released by the Los Angeles Chargers as a salary cap casualty, Bosa was not only joining a new organization for the first time since being drafted, but he was doing it 2,200 miles away in Western New York.

"It's, first day of school kind of feeling. Yeah, and you kind of get comfortable, obviously, in the same place for a long time. So it's a good mix up," said Bosa, who spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Chargers, on Thursday in Orchard Park.

Although he admittedly enjoyed his time in Southern California, going from the NFL's second-largest market to the second-smallest has its benefits.

"I have nothing negative to say about my past and the Chargers. And I think the staff there is amazing. And I think they're going to be very successful for a long time," said.Bosa. "I think it's just a great place here. It's a small little town. That's, I don't know, what do they call it? Best kept secret or whatever. So yeah, really enjoying living here. Like I said, everybody's super nice. The culture is great."

Bosa, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who had at least 10.5 sacks during four of his first six NFL seasons, currently resides in Orchard Park with his fiancée, and his dog apparently enjoys the new digs, too.

Bills edge Joey Bosa cuts inside of the block of Larry Ogunjobi during position drills during the final day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Thursday, August 7, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It's been a really pleasant surprise, you know, getting to know Buffalo, living in Orchard Park. It's been beautiful," said Bosa at the starting of training camp in July. "I have a yard. I have space to live, and my dog can run around we got families of geese in the backyard that we've been following for the past few months now, so it's just been fun. My fiance loves it. It's, like I said, the fans are amazing."

It appears as if Bosa's initial impressions have been confirmed during his first-ever Western New York summer.

“It just feels like home now. You know, it feels like I'm just going into work with guys that I've spent a lot of time with, even though it's only been a couple of months. It's funny how quickly you can adapt to a place," said Bosa.

I agree with Bosa — Western New York is a charming place and Buffalo lives up to its reputation as a "City of Good Neighbors." I just hope someone convinced him to purchase a snow thrower if he plans on staying past October.

Bills edge Joey Bosa signs autographs for fans during day six of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Tuesday, July 29, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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