Jeff Haynes/AP
The San Diego Chargers' contact impasse with No. 3 draft pick Joey Bosa hit a new low on Wednesday.
Bosa has been holding out of training camp and preseason, reportedly refusing to sign his rookie year deal over a deferred signing bonus and "offset language" - a stipulation that prevents a team from paying the remainder of a player's contract if he gets cut before his contract expires.
With the regular season just two weeks away, the Chargers reportedly made Bosa "their best offer," and it was rejected by Bosa's camp.
San Diego Tribune's Michael Gelkin first reported the new development:
Chargers proposed to Joey Bosa what they made clear is their best offer, source says. It was declined. Offer pulled. Two sides are nowhere.
- Michael Gehlken (@sdutGehlken) August 24, 2016With the offer off the table, the Chargers then released a shockingly transparent statement, laying out some details of the offer and threatening a worse deal in the future.
Statement from the San Diego Chargers on defensive end Joey Bosa. pic.twitter.com/BayBGeN22x
- San Diego Chargers (@Chargers) August 24, 2016The Chargers believe that with Bosa's extended absence from training camp, he won't be ready for the start of the regular season. And if he can't play all 16 games, then the Chargers won't make him a bigger offer than what they've presented.
The statement and the details of the offer are surely a negotiating tactic to try and incite some urgency within Bosa's camp to take the deal. Though the Chargers have often cited a precedent with the way they've typically handled rookie contracts, if Bosa, one of the stars of the rookie class, wanted a slightly better offer, there's not much reason for the Chargers to resist.
However, Bosa also may be taking a gamble if the Chargers stand firm. Although he was one of the top prospects in the draft, he's unproven in the NFL, is likely not in game shape if he were to report in time for Week 1, and he's virtually unfamiliar with the Chargers' defensive concepts. He doesn't have much negotiating power. Furthermore, if other Chargers players have followed the precedent for rookie contracts, Bosa's holdout may be irksome to other players who'd prefer he simply show up and get to work.
There's still time for this to be worked out, but both sides are running out of time to get Bosa ready for all 16 games.