The Los Angeles Chargers released Joey Bosa on Wednesday night, ending the linebacker’s nine-season tenure with the franchise.
The move was expected due to Bosa’s large salary cap number and injury history. Bosa had a cap number of $36.47 million for the 2025 season, but the Chargers will save $25.36 million in cap space.
Bosa was the third overall pick by the Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and was the last player on the roster from when the team played in San Diego. He signed a five-year extension worth $135 million in 2020 that made him the league’s highest-paid defensive player at the time.
His time with the Chargers has hit some highs but has also seen some lows. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 and went on to earn five Pro Bowl nods. His emotions, though, have gotten the best of him at times. Notably, Bosa smashed his helmet on the ground as the Chargers blew a 27-point lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC wild-card round in 2023.
In 2024, he had just five sacks, which was his fewest in the six seasons during which he has played at least 12 games as he battled hip and back injuries and played just 14 games.
After seeing action in 16 games in 2021, Bosa saw the field for only 14 games combined in the 2022 and ’23 season. He missed most of 2022 because of a groin injury, but returned late in the year. He was sidelined the final seven games in 2023 with a foot injury.
Bosa’s 72 sacks are tied for 10th most in the NFL since he entered the league and are second in franchise history.
Reporting by The Associated Press
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