Bosa, the third overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, has missed all of training camp due to a failure to agree to terms with the team that selected him.
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Yesterday the Chargers released an official statement explaining that they are withdrawing the initial rookie contract they’d drawn up for Bosa.
The team issued a statement, where it said Bosa’s offer included a signing bonus payment that was larger than any rookie has gotten in the last two NFL Drafts. Bosa cannot ever recoup the money he’s losing by sitting out and even if he were to get drafted by some other team next year, he wouldn’t be selected as high and thus the contract would be less than the under market deal that San Diego is offering.
Bosa’s representatives rejected the contract.
The San Diego Chargers will reassess their next contract offer to Joey Bosa amid concerns he will be unable to play a full 16-game season in 2016.
“Joey’s ability to contribute for an entire rookie season has not been jeopardized by the valuable time he has missed with his coaches and his teammates”, the Charters said.
There’s little concern that Bosa will report to Chargers Park in good physical condition. Of note in the offer: a large signing bonus and higher salary than nearly every draft pick this year, but that apparently wasn’t enough.
Also Wednesday, the Chargers said defensive end Damion Square has been suspended four games without pay for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Initially, Ayrault had wanted the entire $17 million signing bonus to be paid in 2016, and while he has softened his stance since then, the Chargers apparently haven’t been able to offer anything satisfactory to the agent. That’s not expected to happen; the players and his family are upset regarding the way that Bosa has been treated, and Wednesday’s tactics will do nothing to cure that.
Releasing a statement clearly outlining the details of their offer is an unusual move by the Chargers.
At this point, it doesn’t seem like Bosa is even remotely close to playing for the Chargers this National Football League season.
Until we see Bosa putting pen to paper, we will be chasing any possible news item on him signing.
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As of April 20, both of the picks ahead of the Chargers had been traded, and it was a forgone conclusion that quarterbacks would be taken with those selections. Bosa’s position is that if he has to accept offset language, he doesn’t want his bonus deferred.
