Los Angeles Chargers: Garrett extension impacts Joey Bosa
By Usayd Koshul
How does Myles Garrett’s contract extension impact Joey Bosa and the Los Angeles Chargers?
All offseason, Los Angeles Chargers fans have been waiting for one move to be made: A massive extension for pass rusher Joey Bosa that would lock him up in a Chargers uniform until at least 2025. However, the Chargers and the former third overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft have yet to agree to a deal.
On Tuesday afternoon, with Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett agreeing to a five-year deal worth $125 million dollars, along with $100 million dollars in guaranteed money makes him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.
The reality is that Garrett’s new extension is good news for Bosa, who’s looking to get paid but bad news for the Chargers, who will now have to negotiate a deal with Bosa’s camp likely using Garrett’s extension as leverage.
One of the major aspects of Garrett’s deal is the $100 million dollars in guaranteed money. The last time a big-name pass rusher signed a deal that reset the market, it was Chicago Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack earning $60 million dollars in guaranteed money in 2018. With Garrett now getting more guaranteed money than Mack, it’s fair to wonder if Bosa’s guaranteed money could exceed that of Garrett’s.
The key thing to understand throughout this entire process is that the Chargers and Bosa are unsure of the what the NFL’s salary cap in 2021 could like. Many expected the NFL’s salary cap to spike massively in 2021, meaning that both sides would have been able to come to a deal.
With revenue losses being a major point of contention, it’s not likely that we see an extension for Bosa before the season begins. When the Chargers report to training camp at the end of July, all eyes will be on Bosa to be one of the NFL’s best defensive ends again.
Keep in mind that Bosa’s camp has also shown the willingness to stand their ground until they believe that the Chargers are offering a deal that’s worth considering. As a rookie, Bosa didn’t sign his rookie contract until late-August. The Chargers could very well be facing the same issue with Bosa once they get some clarity regarding the NFL’s salary cap situation for 2021.
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It doesn’t seem likely that the Chargers and Bosa get an extension done during the season either. Rarely are big-time players signed to extension while the NFL is in season. However, the Chargers front office needs to act quick. They know that Bosa will eventually want to get paid and that he’s set to be a free agent during the 2021 offseason. If the Chargers don’t pay Bosa, someone else will. But for now, Garrett’s massive extension is another reason that the Chargers have to act quickly.