The San Diego Chargers opened training camp this weekend, but their top draft pick was absent as star Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa has yet to sign with the team. A disagreement over bonus money having the two sides at a stalemate despite the Chargers having to pay Bosa a required amount of bonus money per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.
San Diego must pay Bosa a signing bonus of $17 million, but the Chargers are dragging their feet on when that bonus will be paid out. While on the other side, Bosa wants that money to be paid out right now before getting to work with the Chargers. Creating a situation in which Bosa is now holding out of his first training camp despite the Chargers having to pay Bosa the money anyways.
Bosa wants his full bonus in 2016, the Chargers want to pay a sizeable portion of that $17 million in March 2017. Even if it means upsetting their third overall draft pick. A player who the Chargers need to start right away and contribute if they have any hope of staying afloat in the dangerous AFC West this season where the Chargers are the consensus pick to finish last in the division.
Bosa knows his value to the Chargers both in 2016 and longterm, so he is willing to put the pressure on the front office to give him what he wants. That is his right as a player after being drafted and with little leverage to get what he wants with the NFL’s structured rookie deals, he should be fully defended for at least wanting to be given his signing bonus in the same calendar year of signing his contract with the Chargers.
On the other side of the coin, the Chargers are playing with fire in trying to holdout their new star rookie during training camp over money that they will have to pay Bosa eventually anyways. The fact that they will have to hand Bosa the full $17 million anyways making the move to play hardball with the third overall pick incredibly stupid for a Chargers franchise that should have learned from the lessons of losing Eli Manning with the first overall pick all of those years ago.
Picking your battles in contract negotiations is incredibly important in the NFL and especially important while dealing with a player who you hope to be the future of your franchise. If Bosa is frustrated enough to stage a holdout over a bonus that the Chargers have to pay him anyways, what will happen a few years down the line when it is time to negotiate a non-rookie contract? It is an important question that needs to be asked as the Chargers shouldn’t push Bosa too hard out of the principle of not paying rookie signing bonuses in full.
Keeping the precedent of structuring rookie bonuses is not worth risking the early relationship the Chargers are trying to build with Bosa, who could be a franchise pass rusher the Chargers lack. In a division that already has Khalil Mack, Justin Houston and Von Miller, Bosa is hoped to be the Chargers star pass rusher to match the rest of the AFC West. If that is to happen, the franchise needs to foster a longterm relationship with a player who could be a stay one day. Bickering over money that needs to be given to Bosa anyways won’t accomplish that and if the Chargers are wise they will hand over the full $17 million to get their prospect to training camp.
