Neither Von Miller nor the Washington Commanders were completely happy with the way things worked out between them last season, but that doesn’t mean the team should swear off signing a decorated veteran pass-rusher. Especially when a five-time Pro Bowl edge is still available in 2026 NFL free agency and could help the Commanders win the “pass-rush lottery” by creating a “legitimate matchup nightmare” for offensive lines and quarterbacks.
That’s the verdict from Locked On Commanders podcast host David Harrison about former Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive end Joey Bosa. Harrison calls signing Bosa “kind of like the pass rush lottery ticket, right? If you decide to scratch it, you’re more likely going to bust, but there’s a chance you could hit the jackpot, right? There’s a small chance you could hit the jackpot.”
While he acknowledges the Commanders don’t have a pressing need to add another edge-rusher after spending big at the position earlier this offseason, Harrison does make a compelling case for why Bosa is a luxury still worth considering.
A lot of the reasons are the same as those that informed the signing of Super Bowl 50 MVP Miller in 2025. He was less than pleased with how that move played out, but the current Commanders depth chart at edge-rusher is better setup for a Miller-type signing this year, despite a couple of injuries looming large at the start of training camp.
Joey Bosa Still ‘Makes Sense’ for Commanders
Bosa is 31 and has endured a generally injury-plagued career, but the numbers show he remains dominant when healthy. Stats like logging five sacks and as many forced fumbles for the Bills, along with posting “a useful 13.7 percent pressure rate,” per Christian D’Andrea of USA Today’s For The Win.
Those splash plays are the best proof of Bosa’s enduring ability to wreck offenses. Like when he got to Aaron Rodgers for a sack, forced fumble against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13.
Staying on the field has always been the problem for Bosa, with D’Andrea also noting how the versatile veteran has “only played a full regular season slate once in eight tries and has three years in which he failed to play double digit games.”
That’s a bleak track record of durability, but fortunately, the Commanders wouldn’t need Bosa to log a full slate of games. Not after already adding Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu in free agency.
Instead, as Harrison explained, Bosa “wouldn’t need to be the primary edge defender in Washington. The commanders could use him as a situational pass rusher, rather than asking him to body up a full workload. Daronte Jones wants waves of pressure, multiple combinations and a third down group of Joey Bosa, Odafe, Daron (Payne) and ‘Johnny’ Newton. That’s (a) pretty good, legitimate matchup nightmare for opposing offenses. A rotational role would help keep Odafe, Chaisson on etc…, fresher, while the young players have time to grow (and) develop around a guy who’s done pretty good in his career. Bosa has 77 career sacks. His athleticism certainly has declined. His hands timing and understanding protection, however, still there. And you can still get 20 to 30 snaps out of him over the course of a single game. And of course, he’s going to help those young guys in the locker room develop even further.”
Harrison has outlined a strong argument for why the Commanders should still make room for Bosa. He has core traits ideally suited to the more sophisticated and pressure-heavy schemes of new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
The first-year play-caller would know exactly how to take full advantage of Bosa’s ability to create havoc from multiple spots along the front. Tapping into his talent on a selective and timely basis would only add to the increased heat the Commanders hope to put on the pass-pocket this season.
It was the same hope that led to the arrival of Miller, but the latter didn’t enter the same position of strength as Bosa would. Even though the Commanders still have a few issues to sort out in their pass-rush room.
Washington’s Defense Still Has Questions at Edge-Rusher
The primary question still facing Jones and his staff about their edge-rushers is where’s the depth? It’s an area hit hard by veterans Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Deatrich Wise Jr. beginning camp on the PUP list.
GettyThe Commanders still face questions about the availability of key rotational pass-rushers.
Both will be missed because they’re versatile enough to line up on the edges or slide inside to tackle as part of dynamic pass-rushing fronts. Armstrong, in particular, is ticketed for a key new role in Jones’ system.
In the meantime, 2026 NFL draft fifth-round pick fifth-round pick Joshua Josephs joins Omenihu as viable rotational edge-rushers. It means there’s room for Bosa, provided he’s still committed to playing football.
As Harrison pointed out, “Bosa faded down the stretch. Four of his five sacks last season came in the first eight games. He had one in the last eights, no sacks, and one quarterback hit in two postseason games for the Chargers. And there’s also kind of a basic motivation question. There was a quote from Nick Bosa, his brother, that kind of hinted at that Joey’s like not really sweating whether or not he plays in the NFL anymore.”
The uncertainty over whether Bosa will even join a new team, is something the Commanders can’t ignore, but they won’t know if they don’t ask. It’s worth popping the question because experienced and skilled quarterback hunters always have value.
Just ask Miller, who still logged an impressive nine sacks, despite being unhappy on a struggling defense beset by injuries and a lack of marquee talent up front. Bosa would be surrounded by stronger pass-rushers and playing in a scheme more creatively designed to generate pressure.
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