AJ Epenesa Stats
Getty
Defensive end AJ Epenesa recorded 32 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions during the 2025 NFL season with the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills are enjoying a solid start to their offseason, but they will be losing a player who has spent the last six seasons in Buffalo.
Bills Lose A.J. Epenesa to the Cleveland Browns
According to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Cleveland Brownshave signed former Bills pass rusher A.J. Epenesa to a one-year deal worth $5 million.
“Former Bills DE A.J. Epenesa is signing a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Cleveland Browns, per source,” Schefter wrote on Tuesday on X.
The Bills selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa, and he has played a valuable role in Buffalo over the past six seasons.
In his 91 career games, Epenesa recorded 135 combined tackles, 24 sacks and 29 tackles for loss.
Epenesa signed a two-year deal with the Bills after his rookie contract expired in the 2024 offseason, but it appeared that Buffalo was not keen on bringing him back for another season.
Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Epenesa as the 87th-best edge rusher out of 115 players. While he had a decent pass rush ranking at 63rd, his run defense performance fell short, coming in at 105th overall.
There was a chance that the Bills might have considered bringing Epenesa back after he didn’t sign with any team during the first week of free agency. However, it seems that the new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, might not have thought he would be a good fit for the defense.