Joey Bosa Issue Latest In Long History For San Diego Chargers
By Erik Lambert
The mother of Joey Bosa made the honest comment she wished here son had pulled an Eli Manning and tried to force a trade away from the San Diego Chargers.
It may sound like a joke but given the ongoing contract dispute between the 3rd overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft and his new team, this is no laughing matter. Every indications from both sides are that neither is willing to give ground on money demands. Thus Bosa continues to lose valuable time in training camp with the preseason coming up. San Diego faces the real prospect of going into a pivotal season without a key part of their defense.
Joey Bosa's mom is not doing him any favors by lashing out against the @Chargers. #NFL https://t.co/oEiFKv9YpW pic.twitter.com/xqRt0Wk1T9
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 8, 2016
Sadly this is a problem that has followed the Chargers for a long time. Players not wanting to play for the organization either due to money concerns or the simple belief the organization is never fully committed to winning. Though he never came right out and admitted it, that was the believed reasoning Manning had to force the Chargers’ hand in 2004 to trade him to New York.
It wasn’t just him though. Many other talented players have either left town or not come to town at all because of this. Vincent Jackson got into a heated dispute with team management in 2011 over a new contract. He ended up holding out well into October before a one-year deal was struck. After that Jackson departed to Tampa Bay.
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The problem follows the team all the way back to the 1980s. Going into 1981, two of their top players in wide receiver John Jefferson and defensive end Fred Dean wanted new deals. Both were coming off Pro Bowl seasons and felt they deserved raised. Ownership disagreed and refused to budge on their demands. Eventually it was clear they weren’t going to report for work until something was done. So the Chargers traded both of them.
Bolt fans still wonder how different that season could’ve gone had they been with the team when it reached the AFC championship.
It was a clear message, intended or not, that money was more important than winning. Based on these ongoing developments with Joey Bosa, it’s hard to say much has changed for the San Diego Chargers since.