The Los Angeles Chargers restructured the contract of defensive end Joey Bosa earlier this offseason, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Bosa is safe for the long haul.
Bosa is under contract through 2025, and the adjustment in his deal means he will only count $26.1 million against the cap rather than $36.6 million this coming season. However, next year, Bosa will carry a cap hit of $36.5 million, which could make him a trade candidate.
At least that’s what Anthony DiBona of Pro Football Network thinks.
“While Joey Bosa’s name still carries weight, he has struggled to stay on the field in each of the last two seasons,” DiBona wrote. “Despite being paid like one of the best defensive players in the NFL, Bosa has recorded just nine sacks over the last two seasons. This is why the Chargers could choose to cut their losses and trade him in 2024.”
Could the Chargers move Joey Bosa in 2024?
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the chances of the Chargers trading Bosa before the season are very slim. However, if Los Angeles gets off to a bad start (which is entirely possible), it could very well attempt to move him by the trade deadline.
As DiBona notes, Bosa has been ravaged by injuries of late, playing a combined 14 games over the last two seasons. He is still productive when he is on the field, as evidenced by the fact that he managed to post 20 tackles and 6.5 sacks in nine games this past year, but Bosa hasn’t played a full season since 2019.
The Chargers are a rebuilding ballclub. They parted ways with numerous key players over the last several months and also have a new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and general manager (Joe Hortiz).
Taking that into consideration, holding on to Bosa for the long haul doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
It’s not like Bosa is old. He is only 29, but again, injuries have plagued him for a good portion of his career (he has played under 10 games three times in eight NFL campaigns). Los Angeles may be better off trading him now and recouping decent value for him before he walks in free agency two years from now.
The Ohio State product has four Pro Bowl appearances under his belt and has racked up double-digit sack totals four times, so he certainly has an impressive resume. Surely, there would be numerous teams willing to take a risk and trade for Bosa.
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