Joey Bosa

Joseph Anthony Bosa (born July 11, 1995) plays defensive end in the NFL. He suited up for Ohio State in college before the San Diego Chargers picked him third overall in the 2016 draft. That year, he took home the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. His father, John Bosa, also played in the NFL, and his younger brother, Nick Bosa, is currently an NFL player.

Bosa went to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he played football and basketball for the Raiders. Rivals.com rated him a four-star recruit and ranked him the fourth-best defensive end in his class. He committed to Ohio State in April 2012.

As a true freshman in 2013, Bosa started 10 of 14 games, racking up 44 tackles and 7.5 sacks. The Sporting News and College Football News named him a Freshman All-American. The next year, he became a Unanimous All-American—only the 27th Buckeye to earn that honor in 84 years—finishing his sophomore season with 55 tackles and 13.5 sacks. He also won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.

On July 30, 2015, the university announced Bosa and three other Ohio State players would sit out the first game of the 2015 season for undisclosed reasons. In his junior year, he posted five sacks, one interception, and 47 tackles. He declared for the 2016 NFL draft on December 31, 2015. During the 2016 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame on January 1, 2016, Bosa was ejected in the first quarter for a targeting penalty after hitting quarterback DeShone Kizer. Ohio State won 44–28.

Bosa collected numerous honors starting his freshman year. In 2013, he made the Freshman All-American first team and the Freshman All-Big Ten first team. In 2014, he was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Lineman of the Year, a First-team All-American, and All-Big Ten, and a Lombardi Award finalist. He repeated most of those accolades as a junior but fell short of winning the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year for a second time.

In March 2016, NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah projected Bosa as a top-10 pick. He got an invitation to the NFL Combine, completed all required drills, and participated in positional drills. He met with 13 teams at the combine, including the Ravens, Saints, Cowboys, Browns, and Titans. Scouts thought his overall performance was impressive.

The San Diego Chargers selected Bosa third overall in the first round of the 2016 draft. He was the first of five Ohio State players taken in the first round that year, followed by Ezekiel Elliott, Eli Apple, Taylor Decker, and Darron Lee.

A hamstring injury kept Bosa out of the first four weeks of the 2016 season. He made his regular-season debut on October 9 against the AFC West rival Oakland Raiders, playing just 27 snaps but finishing with two sacks, one hit, and four hurries. In his next game against the Denver Broncos, he had one quarterback hit, five hurries, and a stop while drawing double teams. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Month for October. Despite playing only 12 games, he ended his rookie year with 41 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the NFL All-Rookie Team. His peers ranked him 100th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

In 2017, Bosa followed up with a solid second season as the Chargers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles. He and Melvin Ingram formed one of the league’s best pass-rushing duos. Bosa totaled 70 tackles and 12.5 sacks, seventh in the NFL. On December 19, 2017, he was named to his first Pro Bowl. Fellow players ranked him 37th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

A foot injury sidelined Bosa until Week 11 of the 2018 season. Over seven games, he recorded 5.5 sacks, 23 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, and one fumble recovery. He made his playoff debut in the Wild Card Round against the Ravens, notching one sack, two tackles, and one quarterback hit in a 23–17 win. In the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots, he had one tackle in a 41–28 loss. He was ranked 56th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

On April 12, 2019, Bosa switched his jersey number from 99 to 97, the number he wore at Ohio State. On April 23, 2019, the Chargers picked up the fifth-year option on his contract. In Week 7 against the Titans, he sacked Ryan Tannehill twice in a 23–20 loss. In Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, he recorded two sacks on Mitch Trubisky in a 17–16 win. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for that performance, while his brother Nick won the NFC award. In Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bosa sacked rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew twice in a 45–10 blowout win. He made the Pro Bowl after finishing the 2019 season with 11.5 sacks and 67 tackles. His peers ranked him 34th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

On July 28, 2020, Bosa signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension with the Chargers, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. In Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills, he recorded three sacks on Josh Allen and recovered a fumble.