Joey Bosa Injury: Updates on Chargers DE's Neck and Return
San Diego Chargers rookie defensive end Joey Bosa suffered a neck strain and was tested for a possible concussion in Week 14 against the Carolina Panthers. He was not diagnosed with a concussion, but his official playing status for Week 15 against the Oakland Raiders has yet to be announced.
Continue for updates.
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McCoy Comments on Bosa's Injury
Monday, Dec. 12
Chargers head coach Mike McCoy told reporters Bosa has a neck strain and "should be out there" against the Raiders.
Bosa Avoids Concussion
Sunday, Dec. 11
Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune spoke to a Chargers official who said Bosa did not suffer a concussion.
Bosa Has Made Impact During Shortened Rookie Season
Just when things looked to be settling down, the tumultuous rookie season continues for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Ohio State. Regarded as the one of the top pass-rushers in the draft, Bosa racked up 26 sacks and 51 tackles for loss during his three years in Columbus.
Despite a down 2015 season that saw him rank 102nd in the nation in sacks, Bosa was still on the top of many draft boards that stressed defense—especially for a Chargers team that ranked 24th in the league last season with 32 sacks and was one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year.
However, Bosa didn't sign his rookie deal with the Chargers until Aug. 29 after a holdout over offsetting language and his signing bonus.
When he was finally able to join his teammates on the field, a leg injury forced him to miss the first four games of the season.
But since making his return in Week 5, Bosa has quickly proved to be a gifted pass-rusher at the NFL level:
Coming into Sunday, Bosa had 24 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Now without their budding star, the Chargers will once again have to rely on Darius Philon to step in at defensive end. When it comes to the pass rush, though, the pressure will fall on the shoulders of outside linebackers Melvin Ingram, Jeremiah Attaochu and Jatavis Brown.
Regardless of their success in Bosa's absence, his inability to stay on the field has to be alarming for the Chargers, who are counting on him to spark a turnaround for San Diego's defense.
Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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