Getty Joe Andreessen celebrates in a Buffalo Bills game.
Buffalo Bills fans will have to wait a bit longer to see a hometown favorite take the field.
The Bills announced on Sunday that linebacker Joe Andreessen, a rookie and native of nearby Lancaster, would not be suiting up for their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Andreessen was among the seven players listed as inactive for the game, along with fellow rookie safety Cole Bishop.
Andreessen became a fan favorite during training camp, with his surprise performance earning him a spot on the team’s final 53-man roster and praise from the team’s top brass.
‘Buffalo Joe’ Makes Fast Rise
Andreessen was not on the NFL radar during college. As ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg noted, he only had one college offer coming out of high school, Bryant University. Andreessen played there from 2018 to 2022 before transferring to the University of Buffalo last season.
Though Andreessen had set a single-season school record for tackles with 116 in 2022 and earned All-American honors that season, he only received one offer while transferring.
The Bills invited Andreessen to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. He impressed the team enough to earn a one-year contract in May.
Andreessen continued to stand out during training camp and had a team-high 12 tackles in the second preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Andreessen added another eight tackles in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers and was named to the team’s final 53-man roster in August.
Javon Solomon sets the edge, & Joe Andreessen shoots the gap. Andreessen runs right through Frazier who is a physical & mauling capable center
“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.”
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Bills Make Gameday Decision on Breakout Rookie Linebacker