The Los Angeles Chargers did the right thing.
[jwplayer JOOlu0Ue-ThvAeFxT]
On Tuesday, the Chargers and defensive end Joey Bosa agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $135 million with $102 million in total guarantees, topping Browns’ Myles Garrett, who signed an extension two weeks ago.
Los Angeles now has the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL on their roster, and the decision to do so was the right move.
Elite defensive ends are hard to come by, and when you find one, you can’t let him go because the position is so critical on the defensive side of the ball is a whole.
A great defensive end significantly boosts the whole team’s ability to get pressure on the quarterback. Pressure reduces the quarterback’s options, helps keeps the secondary from being exposed and forces the offense to be less ambitious.
When the Chargers drafted Bosa in 2016, they had the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL prior to, per Pro Football Reference. In his rookie season, they were no better, ranking No. 29 overall. But after getting acclimated to the professional level, his presence up front helped drastically.
In 2017, the defense ranked No. 3. In 2018, they ranked No. 8, despite him missing half the season with an injury. Just this past season in 2019, Gus Bradley’s group ranked No. 6 in the league.
Bosa, in his first four seasons, is one of only 11 players since the NFL started to total 40 sacks in his first 51 games. He joins elite company, which includes Broncos’ Von Miller.
Making an impact as a pass-rusher and run defender, the two-time Pro Bowler finished the 2019 season with 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and 31 quarterback hits. This was accomplished after a season where he missed half the campaign due to an injury.
Over the last three seasons, Bosa has a 91.4 pass-rush grade, via Pro Football Focus, marking the highest of all edge defenders in that timespan.
In a division where Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be playing in for a very long time, you need anything and everything to slow him down. Having the physically gifted Bosa is absolutely needed to do so.
At age 25, the best has yet to come for Bosa, too. The technically refined defensive end is only going to continue to get better as he continues to mature before finally reaching his peak.
Not to mention, playing on a line that features Melvin Ingram, Linval Joseph, Jerry Tillery and Justin Jones will create more one-on-one matchups for him. When Bosa is set up with one, havoc is bound to wreaked.
Another reason why locking up Bosa was the right thing is because the franchise has struggled with contracts in the past, leading to holdouts. Showing that you’re willing to write up a hefty check will intrigue more soon-to-be free agents to sign, even for a team-friendly deals.
As the Chargers seek their first Super Bowl title, his presence for the next five years will put the team in a great position to make it happen.
So while some may think it’s a lot of money to throw at a player, remember that a franchise defensive end is nearly as hard to find as a franchise quarterback, and can have nearly as great an impact.
