The Los Angeles Chargers are keeping one of their best defenders in town for at least another year. According to ESPN, edge rusher Joey Bosa agreed to a restructured contract to remain with the team in 2024.
Bosa, who signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension back in 2020, had been set to count for $36.6 million on L.A.'s books this coming season. Assuming he agreed to a simple restructure, that move will save the Chargers around $10.4 million against the cap.
Bosa's restructure comes a day after his edge-rushing partner Khalil Mack agreed to restructure his own deal. Combined with the release of wide receiver Mike Williams, those three moves saved the Chargers a boatload of money heading into the new league year.
Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Bosa will likely operate more often as a 4-3 (or 4-2-5) defensive end, as he did earlier in his career, as opposed to the 3-4 outside linebacker type he often played as under former head coach Brandon Staley. His role will be functionally very similar as he'll remain an edge rusher, but he may line up with his hand in the dirt more often.
However he aligns, the Chargers will need Bosa to stay healthy so he can make the kind of impact they need from him. He has played just 14 combined games over the past two seasons after making the Pro Bowl in four out of five years between 2017 and 2021. Bosa remains one of the best edge defenders in the league when healthy, but as he's moved into his late-20s, he has been healthy less and less often.
