ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 23: Joey Bosa #99 of the San Diego Chargers sacks Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 23, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
2017NFLBy Matt Yoder on

While his college teammate Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott may have gotten most of the attention in Dallas, Joey Bosa also had a remarkable rookie season playing for the San Diego Chargers. Bosa was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the PFWA after registering 10.5 sacks in just 12 games.

Bosa’s advanced stats were off the charts and his fellow pros took notice too. Joe Thomas, one of the best left tackles of his generation, said Bosa was the most polished pass rusher he had ever seen as a rookie. Bosa has even enjoyed some pop culture status as he and Philip Rivers were invited onto Jimmy Kimmel to get sworn in as Los Angeles residents after the franchise moved from San Diego.

Bosa’s relationship with the Chargers didn’t start out all that great as a lengthy contract dispute delayed the start to his 2016 season. In an age of draft slotting where those things aren’t supposed to happen, somehow the Chargers didn’t get Bosa on the field until the beginning of October. Maybe that explains the whole LA logo debacle as well.

But even before the contract dispute Bosa had his doubters, even though Pro Football Focus had him rated as one of their top college prospects. Perhaps it was being surrounded by so much talent, perhaps the all-too-convenient comparisons to J.J. Watt, perhaps the fact that other highly touted defensive ends have failed to produce the same stats at the next level.

Bosa had his doubters before the draft and when San Diego selected him at #3 overall. He was dismissed as “just a motor guy” a “mistake” and a candidate to be a “major bust.”

When the Chargers took the rare step of taking their contract dispute with Bosa public in August, it looked like we might never see the former Ohio State star play for the team. That led to another round of classic cold takes.

To note, McGinest still stands by his assessment..

Of course, Bosa and the Chargers finally did come to an agreement and it looks like he’s going to have a very long and successful NFL career ahead of him.

Bosa’s message to the doubters and all the people who wanted him gone from the Chargers before he even took the field this year was a simple one…

\_(ツ)_/¯

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