Joey Bosa has an... interesting relationship with LA Chargers fans ahead of the 2024 season. Bosa is undeniably an elite talent who can shift an entire game but he has not been the most durable player for the Bolts the last two years.
Entering the offseason, fans knew the Chargers had to get rid of at least two big contracts and maybe proposed for Bosa to be traded. That ultimately did not happen as Bosa took a pay cut on a restructured contract to stay in Los Angeles. Fan favorite Keenan Allen ended up being the one who was traded.
Bosa is nowhere near the biggest fan favorite in Los Angeles but he is starting to make stried heading into 2024. Restructuring his contract was a great start and now Bosa is saying all the right things about his place on the Chargers.
The Pro Bowl edge rusher was asked about his decision to take a pay cut during Chargers mini-camp, to which Bosa explained that winning is his top priority right now (h/t Kris Rhim, ESPN).
"I want to win. I want to be on this team. I want another shot with the guys in this room, especially Khalil ," Bosa said. "And winning football games is more important to me right now than making some extra money.
Bosa didn't just speak on his decision to return to the Chargers on a pay cut, he also talked about his future with the team. Many fans have assumed that once Bosa would leave the Chargers once his contract is up but that does not at all seem to be the case.
"I always thought of myself being somebody that will play here and retire here, which I think not many people do on one team and I think would be a cool thing to accomplish, but you never know. I'm going to worry about this year first."
Joey Bosa's comments may change how Chargers fans look at him
This does not sound like someone who is just after the biggest check regardless of how the team is performing or what team that is— which is the perception that many fans had about Bosa over the last several years.
This is someone who cares about the Chargers, wants to see them win, and puts stock into being a lifelong Charger. That does not guarantee that he will play the rest of his career in Los Angeles but it is a reality check that Bosa might not be ready to leave like some fans imagined.
Many fans theorized that Bosa would leave the team to go play with his brother Nick in San Francisco. Bosa admitted that he and his brother have talked about what it would be like to play together, but also admitted that those talks have never been serious.
At the end of the day, Bosa is going to have to stay on the field and remind Chargers fans why he got his large contract to begin with. It does not matter what he says if he gets hurt and only plays five games for the Bolts in 2024.
However, this is a great start to what many are hoping will be a bounce-back year for Bosa. Thankfully, it looks like his head is in exactly the right place.