The Cleveland Browns finished last season with one of the NFL's most disruptive defenses, but the gap behind Myles Garrett remained impossible to ignore. Garrett's record-setting 23 sacks carried Cleveland's pass rush for long stretches, yet no other Browns edge defender reached six sacks. That imbalance has fueled fresh speculation around Joey Bosa, who continues to surface as one of the more logical free-agent fits for a team that believes its defense is close to championship level. The idea is less about star power and more about fixing a clear structural weakness.
Why are the Browns still searching for another edge rusher behind Myles Garrett?
Cleveland likes the progress Alex Wright has made since arriving as a third-round pick in 2022. The organization rewarded him with a three-year extension worth $33 million, but that contract also reflects where he currently sits in the league's edge-rusher hierarchy. Wright is productive, dependable against the run and capable of handling heavy snaps, though he has not developed into the kind of consistent pass-rush threat offenses must game-plan around.
His numbers underline that reality. Wright has recorded 11.5 sacks across 51 career games, with flashes rather than sustained disruption. Cleveland's coaching staff values his physicality on early downs, particularly when defending the run. His 73.4 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus ranked among the league's better edge defenders last season, which explains why the Browns trust him in high-volume situations.
Still, playoff defenses usually need more than one player capable of collapsing a pocket. That is where the conversation around Bosa becomes more interesting.
FOX Sports reporter Ben Arthur recently pointed to Cleveland as an ideal landing spot for the veteran pass rusher, writing: “While Myles Garrett broke the NFL's single-season sack record last season (23.0), the Browns didn't have another edge-rusher who reached six. So there is an opportunity to add more playmaking on what's already a strong defense.”
Can Joey Bosa still change games despite concerns about durability?
The biggest question surrounding Bosa is no longer talent. It is availability.
Injuries disrupted multiple seasons during his late years with the Los Angeles Chargers, and that history still follows him. But the perception that he rarely plays no longer fully matches reality. Over the last two seasons, Bosa appeared in 29 games and remained productive when healthy.
Last season with the Buffalo Bills, he generated 47 pressures and 30 quarterback hurries on just 336 pass-rush snaps. His 88.7 pass-rush grade ranked seventh among qualifying edge defenders, evidence that his burst and timing remain dangerous even at 31. Spotrac projects his market value at $27.5 million over a new two-year deal.
Cleveland would not need Bosa to carry the defense. That may be exactly why the fit works.
The Browns could manage his workload carefully, limiting him primarily to passing situations while allowing Garrett to continue drawing constant double teams. In that role, Bosa would not be asked to dominate every snap. He would simply need to punish offenses for focusing too heavily on Garrett. Few available veterans are better equipped for that job.
