Buffalo Bills fans will have to wait a bit longer to see a local favorite in action.
The team announced on Sunday that rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen, a Lancaster native, will not be suiting up for their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Andreessen was one of seven inactive players for the game, joining rookie safety Cole Bishop on the list.
Andreessen became a fan favorite during training camp after an impressive performance that earned him a spot on the final 53-man roster and praise from team leadership.
Buffalo Joe’ Rises Quickly
Andreessen wasn’t on the NFL radar during his college years. As ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg noted, he had just one college offer coming out of high school—from Bryant University. He played there from 2018 to 2022 before transferring to the University at Buffalo for his final season.
Despite setting a single-season school record with 116 tackles in 2022 and earning All-American honors, Andreessen only received one transfer offer.
Invited to Bills rookie minicamp on a tryout, he impressed enough to earn a one-year contract in May.
His standout performances continued in training camp, where he recorded a team-high 12 tackles in the second preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by eight more in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers, solidifying his spot on the final roster in August.
“I would say definitely grateful,” Andreessen said after making the roster, via ESPN. “… Grateful just to have the trust of the coaches, but I would say it was kind of like a switch because there’s still a lot left to be done. A lot left to prove, not to only me, but my teammates now because I’m given that opportunity to be on this team to help this team win.”
Joe Andresseen Earned Praise From Bills’ Brass
Andreessen became a favorite of fans and also earned some praise from the team. Shortly after Andreessen was named to the final 53-man roster, Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke about what a great story his rise had been this offseason.
“Buffalo Joe, what a story, cool, really cool story for Joe,” general manager Brandon Beane said. “… He’s still a rookie, OK, so I don’t want to put him in the Hall of Fame yet. But I think we need to give him credit and kudos. How can you not cheer for him? Like there’s a lot of guys we cheer for that don’t make it, so we still have to make the best decision for the Bills. And to this point, he’s done what’s asked and he earned the opportunity to make our initial 53.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott also praised Andreessen for rising to the moment during the preseason.
“He’s worked extremely hard. … And he’s just a phenomenal young man off the field and he’s done a tremendous job on the field,” McDermott said. “When we named him the starter [vs. the Steelers], it was, hey we’ll see what he can do. It wasn’t too big for him.”
