Joey Bosa’s future with the Los Angeles Chargers remains up in the air as NFL free agency approaches.
The Chargers saying goodbye to the Bosa era has seemed like the obvious solution for a while now, mostly because of the $25 million in cap space the team would save if he exits. But recent comments from Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz made it seem like the team isn’t totally against keeping Bosa and his $36.4 million cap number.
What the Chargers end up doing could totally hinge on what is available to them, too. They have to see what Khalil Mack does in free agency.
Plus, they also have to see who offers what when the phone rings. For example, in a new trade idea from Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, the Chargers ship Bosa to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a fourth-round pick:
“And the 29-year-old has played in more than 10 games just once in the past three years and hasn't had a 10-sack season since 2021.
There's a reason why the 2016 No. 3 overall pick has been mentioned as a trade or even a cut candidate for much of the offseason—especially if the Chargers have aspirations of re-signing fellow edge-rusher Khalil Mack.”
RELATED: Chargers GM drops major hint on future of key defender
Clearing $25 million in cap space and getting back a fourth-round pick isn’t all that bad for the Chargers, all things considered.
Granted, it would need to happen alongside Mack returning to pair with Tuli Tuipulotu as the defense’s primary pass rushers. But it’s certainly one way things could go – and bonus points if they ship him to an NFC team on the off chance he enjoys a major outburst in a new locale.
The Chargers could always opt to re-work Bosa’s deal, provided he’s willing to do so again after last year’s pay cut. But it feels unlikely, and the front office would be wise to strongly consider offers like this, should they be in this range.
