Wednesday marked a fascinating day in the NFL ahead of free agency, with the Seattle Seahawks releasing Tyler Lockett and granting wide receiver DK Metcalf permission to seek a trade.
But those were not the only moves that made news on the West Coast. Wednesday evening brought word that the Los Angeles Chargers were releasing veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa. While Bosa has battled injuries in recent seasons, he recorded five sacks a season ago and remains a formidable presence on the edge.
The move frees up just over $25 million in cap space for the Chargers, but it also means a fascinating pass rusher is now available.
Here are seven teams that should be in the Bosa business, ranked by the likelihood he signs with them as a free agent.
8. New Orleans Saints
A move to New Orleans would be a reunion of sorts for Bosa.
The Saints recently hired Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator, who coached Bosa during his tenure as the head coach of the Chargers. Pass rusher is also a need for New Orleans, as both Chase Young and Payton Turner are entering free agency (and Tanoh Kpassagnon is entering a void year on his current deal).
Yes, the Saints’ financial picture is a mess, and the numbers might be tough to work out. But given the familiarity with Staley, and the needs on the edge, New Orleans is a landing spot worth watching.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay drafted defensive linemen in the first rounds of the 2021 and 2023 drafts, but Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is likely headed for free agency, and Calijah Kancey is best suited to do damage along the interior. Veteran Shaquil Barrett only played two games last season, so there’s a need for a pass rusher opposite Yaya Diaby. Anthony Nelson is also an unrestricted free agent and is more of a rotation player.
Bosa would be an ideal fit as he could help the younger players like Diaby learn how to rush the passer and give the Bucs a pass rusher when they presumably play with the lead in the NFC South next year.
Bosa is also from Fort Lauderdale, so Tampa Bay might feel more like home than the other teams listed.
6. Chicago Bears
Ryan Poles is off to a big start this offseason.
Already this week the Chicago Bears general manager has made a pair of moves to rebuild the offensive line in front of Caleb Williams, trading for linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. Those moves fit well with the vision of new head coach Ben Johnson, whose tenure in Detroit was marked by the Lions having one of the best offensive lines in football.
Adding Bosa would improve Chicago’s pass rush immediately, as pairing him with Montez Sweat would give the Bears two pass rushers capable of generating pressure off the edges.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
Trey Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks a season ago.
The rest of the team combined for 18.5.
Complicating matters is the fact that two of those sacks just walked out the door, with the decision by Sam Hubbard to retire from the NFL at the age of 29.
Defensive line has been a popular pick for the Bengals in mock drafts this season, with consensus mocks sending Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen to Cincinnati. But EDGE is a need as well, particularly with the Bengals now losing Hubbard. Adding Bosa would address that need, while still giving Cincinnati the option of addressing the interior of the defensive front with a pick like Nolen in the first round.
Update: So, um, Trey Hendrickson was just granted permission to seek a trade so there is that as well.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
It might be worth keeping an eye on Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles when it comes to Bosa.
The defending Super Bowl Champions made news this week, inking Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun to new contracts. But the Eagles are also set to lose some talent along the defensive line. Brandon Graham, who reportedly re-tore his triceps muscle in Super Bowl LIX, is expected to retire and both Josh Sweat and Milton Williams are set to hit free agency.
With Sweat in particular expected to command a big deal, Roseman could look to replace some of his production next season with a deal for Bosa.
3. Green Bay Packers
The Packers are a sleeper team for Bosa here considering the body types they like with their edge defenders. They’ve needed help boosting their pass rush on the outside after finishing 26th in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate and the group failing to show up in their playoff loss. Bosa fits their athletic profile on the edge, and while he isn’t the most athletically gifted at this stage of his career, he’s technically proficient enough to win on the outside through sheer willpower and technique.
The Packers don’t really have a lot of free agents on their defensive line, so finding a spot in the rotation for Bosa would be the task, but again: Bosa is at the stage of his career where a rotational pass rush guy should be his role, and the Packers could use all the help they can get.
2. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions lost pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending leg injury in mid-October.
He still led the team in sacks, with 7.5.
That speaks to the lack of pass rushing options in Detroit outside of Hutchinson. While the Lions expect to get their former first-round pick back to start the 2025 season, adding another option (or two) on the edge is a priority for general manager Brad Holmes this offseason.
Bosa would be a smart investment for the Lions, even at this point in his career.
1. San Francisco 49ers
The moment the Bosa news was announced, the San Francisco 49ers came to mind.
With good reason.
Such a move would pair Bosa with his brother Nick, and while the two have never played together in either the NFL or college, they have long expressed a desire to line up on the same defensive line in the league. That might make the older Bosa brother willing to take something of a hometown discount to sign with San Francisco.
Plus, the 49ers’ depth up front on defense could put the older Bosa in position to be more of a rotational player, which would keep him fresh for the entire season and mitigate the injury risks that have hampered him recently.
