Since the day the Los Angeles Chargers season ended, star edge rusher Joey Bosa's future was up in the air.
In recent years, the former Defensive Rookie of the Year's production has dwindled along with his health and the team has ultimately decided to cut ties with him.
Bosa has missed nearly half of the team's games over the last three years and has failed to record double digit sacks in that same span.
He was the longest tenured Charger and a core component to the roster for nearly a decade, but the pros to cutting him significantly outweighed the cons.
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa (97) reacts during joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys. Kirby Lee/Imagn Images Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news, reporting that Los Angeles will receive significant cap relief from the move. They will add nearly $30 million to an already impressively large sum of cap space.
Releasing five-time Pro-Bowl selection Joey Bosa saves the Chargers $25.36 million against their cap. https://t.co/ED3BhuQabZ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2025
Just last week general manager Joe Hortiz expressed his love for Bosa saying that he wants him to "Retire a Charger." But, if you factor in the current state of the roster, there's no way he could make that a possibility.
Almost half of last season's roster are entering free agency including Khalil Mack, so the Chargers had no choice but to prioritize.
With the increasing number of injuries in the last few seasons, the five-time Pro Bowler had simply been unreliable for far too long.
The team will have around $90 million at their disposal after Bosa's release, so they can try to retain more of their free agents and still take a swing or two if there's a top-of-the-market player they're interested in.
As for Bosa, he will likely latch on with another team fairly quickly once free agency opens, if he doesn't already have a deal in place by then.
There is no denying the talent that he possesses, the only question marks are about durability and consistency.
If he is able to stay on the field, he could very well return to the star he was emerging as before the injuries set in.
Related: Chargers Expected to Be Finalists for Superstar WR in Free Agency
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 11:00 PM.