A.J. Epenesa’s offseason hasn’t been like any of his past three in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills.

It started with Epenesa, a 2017 Edwardsville High School graduate, learning what life was like as a free agent for the first time in his professional career after the expiration of his four-year rookie contract.

According to Epenesa, a defensive end, it was “stressful.”

“In the beginning, it was really stressful. My agent was describing to me how the process was going to go down, what his role was and how I was going to put my input into what I wanted and what I needed with my decision,” Epenesa said.

Ultimately, Epenesa agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the Bills on March 12. Free agency officially started a day later on March 13.

Epenesa credited his agent and his parents, Stephanie and Eppy, for helping him with the process.

“Having a great agent made things a lot easier and having my parents constantly there as made it a lot easier, as well,” Epenesa said.

It was an interesting free agency journey for Epenesa, who became a free agent for the first time shortly after Buffalo’s season came to an end against Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round.

It marked the end of Epenesa’s four-year rookie contract that he signed back on May 8, 2020, after he was drafted in the second round with 54th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his four years on the deal, the defensive end had 64 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 15 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a touchdown.

Epenesa had a breakout 2023 season with 20 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a touchdown. The touchdown — on a 32-yard pick-6 — was the first scored by an EHS grad since Morris Bradshaw hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from New England quarterback Steve Grogan in a 30-19 win over the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 2, 1983, at Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Despite the breakout season, Epenesa wasn’t sure what to expect entering free agency.

“It was weird being in the dark. You’re not sure who wants you or who is showing interest,” Epenesa said.

Epenesa’s agent fielded all the phone calls. There were two to three teams showing interest in Epenesa.

“He was the middle man relaying messages as he was talking to this person and that person. It was really weird waiting for calls and just hearing the new updates and then having to make a decision by the end of that phone call,” Epenesa said.

The phone call Epenesa was hoping for came when Buffalo coach Sean McDermott was on the other line.

“At first, it was stressful,” Epenesa said. “After getting a call from McDermott, it helped make my nerves go down quite a bit.”

McDermott, who was hired by Buffalo in 2017, is the only coach Epenesa has played for professionally. In seven seasons with the Bills, he is 73-41 with six playoff appearances, including 48-18 with four appearances with Epenesa on the team.

Epenesa said he was excited about the opportunity to rejoin the Buffalo organization.

“It was a comfortable feeling and a confident feeling,” Epenesa said. “I don’t have to go somewhere else and learn a new playbook and meet new people who have to learn about me when it comes to my body and treatment.

“On the confidence side, it’s a system that I can thrive and be successful in having been around it and been confident in.”

Big plans for 2024

Epenesa will enter the 2024 season with high expectations for himself.

After pulling down 6.5 sacks for the second straight season, Epenesa is ready to up that total in 2024.

“I want to break that double-digit mark for sacks. I know I have the capability to do it. I’ve been thriving for it the past couple of seasons. I think this one will be the one,” Epenesa said.

Playing time will go a long way in helping Epenesa achieve that mark.

For the 2023 season, including the postseason, Epenesa played 436 snaps to finish third on the team at defensive end despite missing two weeks with an injury. Greg Rousseau was first with 659 and Leonard Floyd was second with 628.

“I want to be the starter for the season and I want to earn that role and earn that job. I want to live it and then be it as the starter,” Epenesa said.

Epenesa will get to work on earning the starter’s job soon, as the Bills will open training camp at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York, on July 24.

“Camp is going to be fun this year. We’re going back up to Rochester. I’m looking forward to this season and what we have going,” Epenesa said.

This will be Epenesa’s fifth training camp.

Now one of the veterans of the team, Epenesa said he’s more ready than ever for camp.

“You learn every year,” Epenesa said. “There are new people that come into the league and you see what their point of view is and you kind of pick and pull the different ways guys play and you put it into your own game to make you successful.

“If you’re not growing each year, you’re not trying.”

Big brother

The offseason has also included some responsibilities as big brother.

A.J.’s younger brother Iose, a rising senior at Edwardsville High School, is one of the top-ranked defensive ends in the country for his class. Over the summer, the youngest Epenesa made visits to Iowa, Missouri, Penn State, Miami and Utah. All five were among his final 10, which also included Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas.

It was almost 10 years ago that A.J. started his college football recruiting process that ended with his commitment to Iowa on January 17, 2016.

An All-American in football and track and field, as well as an all-state player in basketball, A.J. had at least 25 college offers that included powerhouses Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, USC and Utah.

Having gone through the process before, A.J. has been able to offer up some advice.

“He does ask for advice when it comes to what he should consider when it comes to thinking about a school. It’s cool to see him go through the process and it’s been really fun to be able to be someone that can give him advice and help him make the best decision for him,” Epenesa said.

But even A.J. admits that so much has changed in recruiting with the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal.

“It’s similar but it’s also not because of the new NIL things. They are taking everything into consideration,” Epenesa said.

And Iose is keeping everything close to the chest.

“Iose is pretty tight-lipped with his recruitment,” Epenesa said. “He doesn’t really tell me which way he is leaning.”