The Buffalo Bills signed linebacker Joe Andreessen to a two-year contract extension on Saturday, October 3, keeping the Western New York native under contract through the 2028 season.
The agreement rewards a player who has built a substantial role on special teams after entering the league through a rookie-minicamp tryout. Contract value and guaranteed money were not included in Saturday’s announcement.
Special-teams production drives his value
Andreessen led Buffalo with 21 special-teams tackles in 2025, tying for fourth in the NFL. He had added five through the opening three games of 2026, putting him in a tie for fifth when the extension was announced.
His record through October 3 included 33 games, three starts, 34 defensive tackles and three tackles for loss. Separately, he had accumulated 32 special-teams tackles. Those coverage-unit contributions help explain his value beyond his relatively small number of defensive starts.
For Buffalo, retaining a player who contributes in both areas provides continuity at linebacker and on the units responsible for defending returns. The extension establishes the length of the commitment without settling how large his defensive workload will become.
From a tryout to a longer Buffalo stay
Andreessen was one of 26 tryout participants at Buffalo’s rookie minicamp in May 2024. He earned a contract that weekend and followed it by making the initial 53-man roster that August, turning an opportunity to be evaluated into a place on the regular-season team.
His college path took him through five seasons at Bryant before a graduate season at the University at Buffalo. In 2023, he started all 12 games for the Bulls and led them with 90 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, adding a sack and a forced fumble.
The local connection runs deeper than that final college stop. Andreessen grew up in Depew, attended Lancaster High School and supported the Bills before joining them. The player known as “Buffalo Joe” now has a contract extending well beyond the tryout that brought him into the organization.
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