The Los Angeles Chargers released Joey Bosa on Wednesday night, ending the linebacker’s nine-season tenure with the franchise.
The move, which came less than a week before the start of the new league year, was expected due to Bosa’s large salary cap number and injury history. Bosa had a cap number of $36.47m for the 2025 season, but the Chargers will save $25.36m in cap space.
Bosa was the third overall pick by the Chargers in the 2016 NFL draft, and went on to be named NFL defensive rookie of the year. He was also the last player on the current roster to have played for the Chargers when they were in San Diego. He signed a five-year extension worth $135m in 2020 that made him the league’s highest-paid defensive player at the time.
Bosa played in 14 games with nine starts this past season after agreeing to restructure his contract. But his five sacks were his fewest in the six seasons during which he has played at least 12 games as he battled hip and back injuries.
After seeing action in 16 games in 2021, Bosa saw the field for only 14 games combined in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He missed most of 2022 because of a groin injury, but returned late in the year. He was sidelined for 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. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times, including this past season as an alternate.
With Bosa’s release, the Bolts will put a bigger emphasis on trying to re-sign linebacker Khalil Mack, who is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his 11-year career. Tuli Tuipulotu, who led the Chargers with 8.5 sacks this past season, is expected to move into a starting spot with Bosa’s departure.
Earlier this year Bosa spoke about the possibility of playing alongside his younger brother, Nick, at the San Francisco 49ers.
“It’d be cool at some point,” Bosa said. “I always thought of myself being somebody that will play here and retire here, which I think not many people do on one team, and I think it would be a cool thing to accomplish, but you never know.”
Joey and Nick’s father, John, was also a first-round NFL pick and was a member of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
