Buffalo’s AJ Epenesa has big plans for 2024 after sailing for free

AJ Epenesa’s offseason was unlike any of his last three NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

It all started with Epenesa, a 2017 Edwardsville High School graduate, learning what life was like as a free agent for the first time in his professional career after his four-year rookie contract expired.

According to Epenesa, a defensive end, it was “stressful.”

“It was really stressful at first. My agent explained to me how the process was going to work, what his role was and how I was going to give my input on what I wanted and what I needed to make my decision,” Epenesa said.

Ultimately, Epenesa agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the Bills on March 12. Free agency officially began a day later, on March 13.

Epenesa thanked his agent and his parents, Stephanie and Eppy, for helping him through the process.

“Having a great agent made things a lot easier and having my parents constantly by my side also made things a lot easier,” Epenesa said.

It’s been an interesting free agent journey for Epenesa, who first became a free agent shortly after Buffalo’s season ended against Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round.

This marked the end of Epenesa’s four-year rookie contract, which he signed on May 8, 2020, after being drafted in the second round with the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. During his four years on that contract, the defensive end recorded 64 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 15 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one touchdown.

Epenesa had a breakout 2023 season with 20 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. The touchdown — on a 32-yard interception — was the first by an EHS graduate since Morris Bradshaw hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from New England quarterback Steve Grogan in a 30-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 2, 1983, at Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Despite a breakout season, Epenesa didn’t know what to expect entering free agency.

“It was weird being in the dark. You don’t really know who wants you or who is interested,” Epenesa said.

Epenesa’s agent answered all the phone calls. Two or three teams showed interest in Epenesa.

“He was the middleman who was passing messages along as he was talking to this person or that person. It was really weird to be waiting for calls and just hearing the new updates and then having to make a decision before that phone call was over,” Epenesa said.

The phone call Epenesa was hoping for came while Buffalo coach Sean McDermott was on the other line.

“It was stressful at first,” Epenesa said. “After I got the call from McDermott, it helped me relax a little bit.”

McDermott, who was hired by Buffalo in 2017, is the only coach Epenesa has played professionally for. In seven seasons with the Bills, he is 73-41 with six playoff appearances, including 48-18 with four appearances with Epenesa on the team.

Epenesa said he was excited about the opportunity to join the Buffalo organization.

“It was a feeling of comfort and confidence,” Epenesa said. “I don’t have to go anywhere else to learn a new manual and meet new people who have to learn more about me in terms of my body and my treatment.”

“From a trust perspective, it’s a system that I can thrive in and succeed in because I’ve been used to it and trusted it.”

Epenesa will enter the 2024 season with high expectations of himself.

After collecting 6.5 sacks for the second consecutive season, Epenesa is poised to increase that total in 2024.

“I want to break the double-digit mark in sacks. I know I have the ability to do it. I’ve been striving for it for two seasons. I think this will be the right one,” Epenesa said.

Playing time will go a long way in helping Epenesa achieve that goal.

For the 2023 season, including the playoffs, Epenesa played 436 snaps to finish third on the team at defensive end despite missing two weeks due to injury. Greg Rousseau finished first with 659 and Leonard Floyd was second with 628.

“I want to be a starter for the season and I want to earn that role and that job. I want to live it and then be a starter,” Epenesa said.

Epenesa will soon get to work on winning the starting job, as the Bills open training camp at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York, on July 24.

“Camp is going to be fun this year. We’re going back to Rochester. I’m looking forward to this season and what’s ahead,” Epenesa said.

This will be Epenesa’s fifth training camp.

Now one of the team’s veterans, Epenesa said he is more ready than ever for camp.

“You learn every year,” Epenesa said. “You have new people coming into the league and you see what their perspective is, you pick and choose and take advantage of different ways that players play and you incorporate them into your own game to be successful.

“If you’re not improving every year, you’re not trying.”

The offseason also included some big brother responsibilities.

AJ’s younger brother, Iose, a senior at Edwardsville High School, is one of the top defensive ends in the country for his class. Over the summer, the younger Epenesa visited Iowa, Missouri, Penn State, Miami and Utah. All five were among his final 10 choices, which also included Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas.

Almost 10 years ago, AJ began his college football recruiting process which culminated in his commitment to Iowa on January 17, 2016.

An All-American in football and track and field, as well as an All-State player in basketball, AJ received at least 25 college offers, including powerhouses Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, USC and Utah.

Having been through this process before, AJ was able to offer some advice.

“He asks for advice on what he should consider when it comes to thinking about a school. It’s cool to see him go through the process and it’s really fun to be able to be someone who can give him advice and help him make the best decision for him,” Epenesa said.

But even AJ admits that a lot has changed in recruiting with the introduction of the NIL and the transfer portal.

“It’s similar, but it’s not because of the new NIL measures either. They take everything into consideration,” Epenesa said.

And Iose keeps everything for himself.

“Iose is pretty quiet about his recruitment,” Epenesa said. “He doesn’t really tell me which way he’s leaning.”