Chargers can afford to be cautious with Joey Bosa

It sounds like Joey Bosa is finally ready to play football this year.

After missing the first 10 weeks with a foot injury he incurred during training camp, Bosa is back at practice and though the team is likely keeping a very watchful eye on him, it appears that the star defensive lineman could take the field soon.

When the Chargers started the season 1-2, the loss of Bosa loomed large. Many fans even blamed the poor start on the fact that the team was missing its best player. I wrote that I felt it was possible he would miss the entire season.

However, since that 1-2 start, the Chargers haven’t lost a game. Suddenly, the fact that the team hasn’t had Bosa hasn’t seemed like as much of a problem. And, at least for the next couple of weeks, the Chargers should stick to that mindset.

Of course, fans will be eager to see No. 99 notch his first sack of the season. But keep in mind, this team has won seven games without him. They play their next two games at home against the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, teams with a combined record of 5-13.

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However, after that, they go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that has now been ‘flexed’ to Sunday Night Football. 

Sure, it would be nice to see Bosa return to full speed this Sunday against Denver, but it’s likely that won’t happen. Since the Chargers can likely beat the Broncos, and the Cardinals for that matter, without him, there’s simply no need to rush him back onto the field.

The Steelers will be a different beast. On the road, in December, that is going to be a tough game to win. The Chargers will need all of their horses for that game and it makes much more sense to allow Bosa to be at 100 percent and then trot him out at Heinz Field.

The schedule gets much tougher in December. The Chargers will need to pull out all the stops in some of those games. Against the Broncos and Cardinals, they can comfortably stay the course that has led them to six straight victories.