It’s official. In 2016, defensive end Joey Bosa will play for the Chargers or for no one.
As first explained last week by PFT, the window for trading Bosa closed at 4:00 p.m. ET today, 30 days before the start of the regular season. He can’t be traded until the 2017 league year opens, at the earliest.
The Chargers had shown no inclination to trade Bosa, in large part because no other team had the rookie pool space to absorb his contract. Without that, a trade couldn’t have happened.
As first explained here last week (but co-opted without credit by a certain four-letter network on Sunday), the two sides haven’t spoken since July 28. Indeed, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that, as of this posting, the two sides still haven’t spoken in 12 days, and counting.
The ball, as previously explained, remains in the team’s court. The latest offer from the Chargers came on the morning of July 28, Bosa’s camp responded within 90 minutes, and the team has still not countered.
The team presumably hasn’t countered because there’s nothing to say. The Chargers want offset language to be attached to the guaranteed contract, preventing double-dipping from Bosa if he’s cut during the next four years and signs elsewhere. The Chargers also want to defer a significant chunk of the signing bonus to March of 2017, while Bosa wants the full signing bonus to be paid out this year.
Bosa is willing to concede either point. The Chargers want both offset and deferral language.
The impasse must be resolved, at the latest, by the Tuesday after Week 10. If a deal isn’t reached by then, Bosa can’t play in 2016, and he’ll remain the property of the Chargers until the start of the 2017 draft.
Again, it’s hard to see it getting to that point. It also was hard a few weeks ago to see it getting to this point.