In response to a report that contract talks are going nowhere between the Chargers and rookie defensive end Joey Bosa, the team released this statement.
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Bosa is the only first-rounder who has not signed with his team.
Was it fair for the National Football League to publicly expose their contract fight? He remains the only unsigned player from draft. But Bosa, the only player from the draft not to agree to terms, remains out. He can sit out the 2016 season, wait out the 2017 offseason, and then re-enter the 2017 draft. Kelly said no decision has been made on whether Kaepernick or former Missouri standout Blaine Gabbert will start against Green Bay, but Kelly said earlier this month that he planned to give both quarterbacks competing for the starting job a chance to play with the first-team offense in the preseason.
With the regular season just two weeks away, the Chargers reportedly made Bosa “their best offer”, and it was rejected by Bosa’s camp.
“I’m sure he’s going insane back home not being with his teammates”, said McCoy after practice Thursday, when asked what his message was to players in regard to the possible distraction of Bosa’s contract stalemate. The underlying answer is he is the highest Charger player drafted in the new rookie contract allotted system, his contract should reflect that. It’s actually gotten so bad that Bosa’s mom Cheryl recently said she wished Joey had “pulled an Eli Manning” and demanded a trade after finding out the Chargers had drafted him.
Chargers draft picks holding out isn’t new, but draft pick holdouts overall have become rare since the inception of the 2011 CBA.
The Chargers’ statement on Bosa came just 30 minutes after they released an economic study that shows a combined downtown stadium and an off-site expansion to the city’s convention center will result in a “significant positive impact” on San Diego’s convention and hotel industry.
As for the Chargers, they are prepared for any situation regardless of whether Bosa joins the team or not. You get the sense that they are trying to win the battle of public opinion, instead of focusing on signing their first-round pick. At the end of the day a lot of time has been lost on a negotiation that already had the money slotted, but leave it to the Chargers to complicate even the slam dunk negotiation.
Neither side appears willing to budge on that issue, but there is more pressure on the Chargers to cave with fans siding with Bosa.
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But Reid told reporters in Reno Tuesday pro football would be good for Vegas and “it would be great” if it was the Raiders.
