Joey

Bosa

Bosa’s absence is a brutal loss for the Chargers’ defense. He ranks second on the team in both quarterback pressure (four) and NFL sacks (4.0).

Bosa has dealt with hip, back and hand/wrist injuries this month. Resting through the Week 5 bye would probably serve him well but the Chargers face the division rival Chiefs this week so it’s likely Bosa pushes to play.

This doesn’t come as a surprise. Bosa was spotted on the sideline without his helmet in the second quarter after attempting to play through the injury earlier in the game. We’ll likely learn more about his injury later in the week, but it’s fair to question whether or not Bosa will be available in Week 4 when the Chargers host the Chiefs.

Bosa was active for Sunday’s contest despite dealing with a hip injury. The star pass rusher played a handful of snaps before leaving the field and attempted to return before heading to the sideline again and being seen without his helmet. We’ll see if he returns in the second half, but it wouldn’t be surprising to learn his day is done.

Joey Bosa (back) is also good to go. Palmer seems like he will be ready for his usual allotment of snaps. We just aren’t quite sure what that is yet in this new-look Chargers offense. Coming off a Week 1 where he caught just two balls against the Raiders before getting ejected late in the fourth quarter, Palmer is a questionable WR4 in Carolina. Inactive for the Chargers are QB Taylor Heinicke, RB Kimani Vidal, CB Tarheeb Still, S Alohi Gilman, OL Jordan McFadden, WR Brenden Rice and DL Justin Eboigbe.

Bosa was listed as limited for Wednesday’s practice but was then downgraded to a DNP on Thursday. The Athletic’s Daniel Popper noted that Bosa was working off to the side, not in uniform, for Friday’s practice. It sounds like the oft-injured defender is on the wrong side of questionable for Week 2, though his status is still up in the air. Even without Bosa, the Chargers should be able to contain Bryce Young, who is coming off a dreadful Week 1 versus the Saints. Cornerback Ja’sir Taylor is also listed as questionable.

Bosa broke his hand in joint practice with the Rams on August 4 and had been practicing with a club to protect the bone since. Now a month removed from the injury, Bosa should be nearing full health as the team prepares to face the Broncos in Week 1. It’s good news for a Chargers defense that should look much different under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

Bosa suffered a hand/wrist injury back on August 4 while participating in a joint practice with the Rams. It was the last time we saw the veteran pass rusher on the practice field until Thursday when he was spotted working off to the side with trainers. Whether or not his extended absence was related to his hand/wrist injury or not, it’s an encouraging sign for the Bolts, who hope to have Bosa ready for the start of the season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said a few weeks ago that Bosa was “working through something,” but we don’t know the specifics of what that “something” was. The Chargers are set to kick off the season on September 8 against the Raiders, giving Bosa nearly three weeks to get up to speed.

Details are murky on the specific nature of Bosa’s injury, but Popper said the star pass rusher left the field with trainers after going down. Bosa totaled 6.5 sacks for the Chargers over nine games last season and has appeared in just 14 games over the last two years. We’ll likely know more on the severity of Bosa’s injury in the coming days. Hopefully this isn’t anything that would sideline Bosa for an extended length of time.

“Restructure” likely means pay cut in this instance, perhaps in the form of an entirely new contract. Those details are not yet forthcoming. Bosa is still only 29 (in July), but remaining on the field has become a greater and greater challenge. He has appeared in just 14 games over the past two years, tallying nine sacks in the process. He has appeared in more than 12 games one time since 2019. Jim Harbaugh is going to provide a desperately-needed culture change in L.A., so it’s possible Bosa’s production increases if he can somehow find a way to stay on the field.