Joey Bosa declines ‘best offer’ from Chargers

Joey Bosa is wondering what the heck is going on too
Jon Durr/Getty Images
Andrew Kulp
Andrew Kulp

It appears there’s no resolution on the way for the Chargers with third-overall draft pick Joey Bosa.

In what has now become the most and perhaps the only significant rookie holdout to hit the NFL since the rookie wage scale was introduced, Bosa apparently is no closer to joining the team with the regular season just weeks away. A source tells Michael Gehlken for the San Diego Union-Tribune that the Chargers have made their “best offer” to the defensive end, and it was declined.

Gehlken adds the two sides are “nowhere.”

The disagreement between Bosa and the Chargers is primarily over the offset language teams often ask for, which basically saves the club money in the event they release the player before the end of their rookie contract. Another sticking point is they’ve asked the Ohio State product to defer some of his signing bonus until next March.

The whole situation has long since waded into ridiculous territory. There’s a reason there haven’t been any lengthy rookie holdouts the previous five years. The money is slotted and there’s precedent for all of these things.

By digging their heels in and asking Bosa to do both of those things, the Chargers are only making their team worse for the 2016 season. If he’s not signed by Week 10, he’s ineligible to play this year, and were they somehow to never come to an agreement, Bosa would re-enter the draft in 2017.

That doesn’t seem too likely to happen. Eventually the Chargers should cave, and assuming Bosa isn’t too fed up by that point, he’ll sign. The fact that we even have to mention those possibilities though is a sign that something has gone horribly wrong here.

Update: The Chargers have released their side of the story in a statement.