The team has said that its most recent offer to Bosa was its best offer, but that it will be restructured as it is clear to the Chargers that their first-round pick will not play an entire 16-game season this year. “Since Joey will not report at this time, his ability to produce not just early in the season, but throughout the entire season, has been negatively impacted”.
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As a result, the Chargers suggested they would be forced to reduce their offer because he won’t be able to play all 16 regular-season games.
Bosa has missed all of training camp as his agents and the team wrangle over how much of his $17 million signing bonus he’ll get up front, as well as offset language in case he gets cut. Bosa was also set to receive more money in 2016 than every rookie in the draft class, other than Carson Wentz. San Diego is playing hardball, demanding the rookie to accept offset language in addition to a deferment of his signing bonus, which would be unprecedented in the NFL.
However, Bosa also may be taking a gamble if the Chargers stand firm.
Contract discussions between the San Diego Chargers and their top-rookie Joey Bosa grow increasingly tense. From ESPN’s Adam Schefter on his Facebook page, Bosa’s representatives have proclaimed that the Chargers “have made a decision to manipulate facts and negotiate in the media”. The Bosa camp replied, and in a battle between rich players and rich owners, it seems the owners are the ones falsifying facts, and basically lying while trying to make their first round draft pick look bad. San Diego have said they’re going to change their offer for when Bosa decides to return because of missed games, which means less money.
If you haven’t been keeping up with it, Bosa-the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft-has been unable to reach a contract agreement with the Chargers.
Bosa is the only first-rounder who has not signed.
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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 are entering the third of four preseason games and little contract progress has been made with their star defensive end. If both sides can not agree on a deal before Week 10 of the 2016 National Football League regular season, Bosa will be ineligible to play this season and he will be allowed to re-enter the National Football League draft in 2017. If he were to remain unsigned this season, he is permitted only to sign with the Chargers until the first day of the 2017 draft.
