One of the last remaining members of the franchise that moved from San Diego to Los Angeles in 2017, Joey Bosa has been released by the Chargers.
The 29-year-old edge rusher took a pay cut to remain with the team last year. He was scheduled to make a little over $25 million in non-guaranteed compensation for the 2025 season, and the Chargers gain that much in cap space by cutting him loose.
Selected No. 3 overall in the 2016 draft, Bosa earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and made five Pro Bowls with the Chargers. He ranks No. 2 in franchise history in sacks (72) behind Hall of Fame candidate Leslie O’Neil (105.5). However, Bosa’s production took a downturn of late. He missed 23 games in the past three seasons due to various injuries, totaling just 14 sacks during that time.
If Bosa is healthy, his next team will get a hard worker and pass-rush technician who can serve as a mentor for young defensive linemen. Here are five teams that make sense for Bosa.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon wants to create more juice up front for a pass rush that finished with just 41 sacks in 2024, tied for 13th in the league. Per Next Gen Stats, Arizona’s 31.4% quarterback pressure rate was among the bottom-feeders in the league. The Cardinals lost their best pass-rusher, BJ Ojulari, to a knee injury before the season started. And they never replaced the production lost when J.J. Watt retired and Zach Allen left in free agency two years ago. Adding Bosa would give Arizona a legitimate pass-rusher off the edge.
Bosa wouldn’t have to move in this scenario. Yes, the Rams already have one of the best young defensive lines in the game, with Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Byron Young up front. But you can never have too much pass rush in a passing league. And Bosa would see some familiar faces with the Rams. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula was a defensive assistant for the Chargers during Bosa’s rookie season in 2016. And defensive line coach Giff Smith spent eight seasons coaching Bosa with the Bolts.
The Lions need to add more pass rush to a defense that struggled to get off the field down the backstretch of the season and in the postseason. Bosa would serve as a productive bookend opposite 2023 Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson, who’s returning from a broken left leg suffered in Week 6 last season. Detroit’s 37 sacks tied for 24th in the league last year.
Head coach Dan Quinn and the Commanders are chasing the reigning Super Bowl champs in the NFC East. Adding bodies to create a more potent pass rush will be important in that quest. Dante Fowler Jr. led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks during the regular season, but he did not record a sack in the postseason and is set to hit free agency next week. Bosa is not only a talented pass-rusher but also effective setting the edge against the run.
A reunion with younger brother Nick Bosa is the most obvious destination here. Joey Bosa has enthusiastically spoken about the possibility of playing with his brother; the last time the duo took the field together was in high school. And San Francisco has a need for a productive pass-rusher to help Nick Bosa carry the load up front. Joey Bosa could help the 49ers get back in the playoff conversation, which is where he wants to be. San Francisco also practices and plays on grass, a plus for Bosa, who is keenly aware of the wear and tear artificial surfaces have on his body.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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