The LA Chargers were forced to make several polarizing moves over the offseason thanks to the salary-cap situation that former GM Tom Telesco left the team with. Most notably, star wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were traded and released, respectively, to create cap space.
In addition to those moves, the Chargers also restructured the contracts of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa to create more cap space. Mack and Bosa were willing to take pay cuts, while Allen was not, hence why they are still in Los Angeles and Allen isn't.
Even though Bosa made a team-friendly decision to stay in Los Angeles this season, there are some who still think he could be traded by the Chargers. Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport broke down one player that each NFL team should consider trading and circled Bosa as the name to watch on the Bolts.
"The problem is, edge-rusher is one of the few position groups where the Chargers don't have a deficiency. This team is nowhere near a Super Bowl contender. Bosa has already been mentioned in trade rumors, and both he and Khalil Mack restructured their contracts in the offseason to help LA's then-dismal cap situation.
The Chargers have a replacement on the edge waiting in Tuli Tuipulotu. Frankly, whether it's Bosa or Khalil Mack (who posted a career-high 17 sacks in his age-32 season in 2023), the Bolts should get the best return they can for one of their star pass-rushers and look toward the future."
The Chargers trading Joey Bosa makes no sense (and won't happen)
If the Chargers were actually interested in trading Joey Bosa then it would have happened already. Prior to all of the salary-cap reshuffling, Bosa was considered the most likely player to be traded because of his cap hit, value, and injury history on the team.
The Chargers obviously did not go that direction and opted to trade Allen instead. Sure, the team has added to an already-talented edge rusher room since then, but that does not mean that the Bolts will suddenly change their mind about trading Bosa.
There is zero chance the Chargers would go through the trouble to keep Bosa only to trade him before the season even begins. Los Angeles has committed to this edge-rushing room and fans should not expect any kind of changes in the near future.
This could change, of course. If the Chargers have 1-2 wins at the trade deadline then the team could look to accelerate the rebuild and trade Bosa (and Khalil Mack, while they are at it). At that point, it would be better to cut bait sooner for immediate draft capital if the team is not in a situation to contend.
There is also a world in which the Chargers trade Bosa next offseason. The Chargers' cap space is much healthier, but the team would create $25.36 million in cap space by trading him next offseason. Depending on how the 2024 season goes, that is a possibility.
What isn't a possibility is the Chargers trading Bosa before the 2024 season even starts. The major roster moves are over for the Bolts.