Joey Bosa ends holdout, signs contract with Chargers
Joey Bosa is officially a San Diego Charger. Finally.
The third overall pick of the 2016 draft ended a lengthy holdout rarely seen under the new collective bargaining agreement and signed a four-year contract Monday.
“We look forward to having Joey join us and getting him prepared as quickly as possible for the 2016 season,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said in a statement.
Though the salaries of draft picks are basically slotted under the new CBA, Bosa originally wanted his entire $17 million signing bonus paid out in 2016 (rather than have part of it deferred) and also sought the removal of offset language in his deal in the event he didn't remain with the Chargers for the duration of the contract. The club has a policy of using offset language, which essentially prevents a player from double-dipping financially if he joins a new team after being released.
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The financial specifications of Bosa’s final contract were not revealed, though The San Diego Union-Tribune reported last week that Bosa’s agent had compromised on the payout schedule of the bonus.
"We came to a fair deal," Bosa said Monday at his news conference. "There's no animosity between any of us."
Negotiations seemed to reach a breaking point last Wednesday, when the Chargers took the rare step of publicly revealing the details of their latest offer (including paying 85% of the signing bonus in 2016) to Bosa, who had rejected what the team deemed its best deal.
Bosa left Ohio State with a reputation as a relentless defensive end who is an effective pass rusher and run stopper. However he's likely to experience a significant learning curve with the Chargers, who employ a three-man front (Bosa played in a four-man front for the Buckeyes) that will require him to take on more double teams than he's accustomed to.
"We'll see when he's ready to go," Chargers coach Mike McCoy said Monday. "We're not going to put a timetable on it."
Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
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