Bills Central

Bills’ Greg Rousseau: X-Factor in AFC East?

Greg Rousseau is becoming a key piece to the Buffalo Bills defense.

Jeremy Brener

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The Buffalo Bills are approaching a critical season as they look to once again budge into the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals' stranglehold on the conference.

The Chiefs and Bengals are slated to meet in the AFC Championship for a third consecutive year, but the Bills are the team most likely to disrupt that pattern.

If the Bills are going to find their way into the late January part of the calendar, defensive end Gregory Rousseau is going to be a reason why.

"If Rousseau can become a Pro Bowl-caliber pass-rusher—ideally opposite a healthy Miller—then Buffalo will have a realistic shot at challenging Kansas City and Cincinnati in the AFC," Bleacher Report writes.

A 2021 first-round pick, Rousseau had a decent rookie season with 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. He improved substantially in 2022, doubling his sack total to tie for the team lead with future Hall-of-Famer Von Miller. If his upward trajectory continues, Rousseau could be in for a special season in 2023.

Playing alongside Miller and new signee Leonard Floyd should help Rousseau and the rest of the Bills' pass rush, but it also means there are more players competing for snaps. Rousseau should have no issue getting his fair share, but it's something to consider.

If Rousseau does have a career year, then he will likely be in line for a huge extension next offseason. With the Bills already over the projected 2024 salary cap, that extension could be difficult to work into the books.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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