To put on weight ahead of the 2023 season, Chargers edge defender Joey Bosa admitted that he had been eating between 4,500 and 5,000 calories this offseason.
“Eating isn’t really enjoyable these days,” Bosa said, per ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry. “It’s more so just part of the job.”
Bosa added that he’d eaten roughly five to six meals to hit the caloric target goal.
Bosa played around 265-270 pounds in the first five seasons in the NFL and dropped to 250 pounds these last two.
When Brandon Staley was hired as head coach in 2021, Bosa transitioned to an outside linebacker, requiring him to drop back into coverage. That meant he had to lose weight to be more fluid in space.
He is now back to his starting weight when he played a traditional defensive end position under former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
He feels that the additional weight will add more power to his game to make him an impactful run defender again.
“I specifically tried to really eat good and put some weight on this offseason, get back to my weight I was at a few years ago, where I could really use my power,” Bosa explained. “Really handle guys in the run and be more effective in that part of the game.”
Bosa’s 2022 season was cut due to a groin injury that required surgery. He finished with 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in just five games.
Now healthy, Bosa’s presence on the edge will boost a defense that lacked consistency at generating pressure and against the run.
“I definitely feel stronger,” Bosa said.