How good is Joey Bosa? The Chargers’ defensive end missed the first four games of his rookie season and was still an easy choice for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Joey Bosa missed his 1st 4 games and still became 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
A holdout and an injury couldn’t keep Bosa from shining.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Bosa, 2016’s No. 3 overall pick, tallied 10.5 sacks in just 12 games and laid out quarterbacks with another 23 hits to establish himself as one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushers. While his Chargers disappointed with a 5-11 campaign, his presence will give the franchise a defensive star to build around in its new Los Angeles home.
The two sides got off to a rocky start. Bosa failed to come to terms with the Chargers on a rookie contract until late in the preseason, making him the last first round pick to sign a deal in 2016. Concerns over signing bonuses, offset language, and guaranteed money led to an impasse that made San Diego look cheap and Bosa appear difficult.
He missed the bulk of the team’s preseason training camp, and that lack of experience, combined with an injury, led the young defender to sit for the first four games of the season. The rest paid off; he burst onto the scene with a two-sack, four-tackle performance against division rival Oakland. After three games, it became clear he was the most dynamic weapon on the Charger roster.
Now he’ll look to build on an abbreviated rookie campaign and give new head coach Anthony Lynn a foundation for improvement in 2017.
Bosa beat out a talented roster of first-year players for the honors.
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