Bills UDFA LB Joe Andreessen earns spot on NFL 'All-Preseason' team

Buffalo Bills fan-favorite linebacker Joe Andreessen has earned national recognition for his stellar preseason.

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It’s a story that’s only possible in sports: an overlooked young player tries out for and makes their hometown NFL team only to step up and thrive when given an opportunity.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen did exactly this throughout the 2024 NFL preseason, consistently flashing and propelling himself from a roster long-shot with a neat story to a realistic 53-man unit contender. The University at Buffalo product signed with the Bills after a May tryout, making a name for himself with a three-game preseason stretch in which he totaled 24 tackles.

He particularly flashed in a spot start in Buffalo’s Week 2 preseason matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, tallying a team-high 12 tackles as he started in place of Terrel Bernard. He was all over the field in the win, making a number of impressive open-field tackles and generally not looking out of place when asked to match up against dynamic athletes and bonafide NFL starters.

Related: The legend of Bills UDFA 'Buffalo Joe' Andreessen started in high school

Andreessen’s recent (and unexpected) excellence has been celebrated by the Buffalo faithful, and it’s even earned him a bit of national recognition; he’s earned a spot on The Sporting News’ All-Preseason team, with writer Jacob Camenker noting that fans will remember his story for a while regardless of his long-term roster aspirations.

“Andreessen had two tackles for loss against the Steelers and showed an ability to shoot the gap with speed and strength,” Camenker wrote. “On one of his best plays, he blew by Steelers second-round pick Zach Frazier, a player with a wrestling background who is known for being a mauler in the run game.

“Andreessen may still be developing in coverage — he allowed a 102.1 passer rating when targeted during the preseason, per PFF — but his playmaking potential was on display throughout the preseason. His downhill playmaking ability will make him among the more memorable defensive players during the 2024 preseason.”

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The 24-year-old defender is the only Buffalo player to earn a spot on the All-Preseason team outright, with running back Frank Gore Jr. earning an honorable mention off the back of his 101-yard Week 3 outing.

It’s possible that Buffalo fans have seen the last of Andreessen in a Bills uniform, as the local product is still a long shot to make his boyhood club despite his preseason prowess. That said, the situation in the linebacker room is a bit cloudy given Matt Milano’s recent bicep tear; the team is in need of capable depth sans Milano, and Andreessen certainly showed promise in the preseason. Buffalo must trim its roster down to 53 players by 4:00 p.m. ET on August 27.

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