After 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, tackle Bryan Bulaga will be putting on a new uniform in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bulaga signed a three-year deal worth $30 million with the Chargers last week after a decade spent at tackle for the Packers. In an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio, Bulaga said he knew early on in the lead up to free agency that his future no longer resided in Green Bay.
“We knew pretty early that we would not be heading back to Green Bay,” Bulaga said. “That was made known pretty early, I think before the opening bell of the tampering process we kind of knew that. So we had an open mind and we were willing to kind of hear where the market was going and what teams were going to call and the Chargers were a team that was very interested from early on.
“There’s no hard feelings here about it. I truly appreciate everything the Packers organization has done for me in 10 years and I’ve had a great time up there. I’ve really enjoyed it. There’s no hard feelings. I understand this thing is a business and just two sides that decided to go different ways and that’s OK.”
Bulaga said that one of the most appealing factors to him about joining the Chargers as a chance to play for offensive line coach James Campen again. Campen was the line coach in Green Bay under Mike McCarthy for the first nine years of Bulaga’s tenure with the team. Campen left to join the Cleveland Browns staff last season before moving on to Los Angeles this offseason.
“Obviously for me a very familiar face is the offensive line coach in coach [James] Campen,” Bulaga said. “He was my offensive line coach in Green Bay for nine years. So going to a place that is unfamiliar to me but having a familiar face there was a big sell for me. We played them last year. They beat us pretty handedly in L.A. and got to experience the type of players that they had and kind of what they’re doing over there. It’s exciting and they’re moving into the new stadium and so it seemed like a good fit for myself and my family.”
Bulaga has appeared in 115 career games with 111 starts in 10 seasons.