The 2024 campaign has included another hurdle for Joey Bosa to clear on the injury front. The longtime Chargers edge rusher is set to return to action this week, though. 
Bosa said on Friday (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper) he is set to play in Week 8 against the Saints. The four-time Pro Bowler has been out of the fold since Week 3 while dealing with an injury affecting his sciatic nerve. As he prepares for a return to action, Bosa added he expects to be on a snap count during Sunday’s game. Still, having him available once more will be a welcomed sight for the Chargers.
The 29-year-old has struggled with injuries over the past three years, having made only 17 appearances since the start of the 2022 campaign. Bosa’s future was in question this past offseason based on the nature of his contract in addition to his missed time. Just like fellow starter Khalil Mack, however, he agreed to a pay cut and thus set himself up for another round of adjustments next year.
Bosa is under contract through 2025, but none of his $13MM salary for the year is guaranteed and his scheduled cap hit is more than $36MM. An extension lowering that figure could come into play if new general manager Joe Hortiz makes a renewed commitment to retaining him for 2025. Considering Bosa already has another list of missed games on his resume this season, though, he will likely need a productive and healthy showing the rest of the way for that to be the case. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is aware of the impact of his continued injuries, something he also reflected on.
“The main thing is I feel like I’ve been letting my team down missing these games,” Bosa said (via Popper). “Letting everybody down. Letting the coaches down. Letting the organization down. Letting myself down. It just sucks how these years have (gone) the last few years.”
Bosa posted 10.5 sacks during his last full campaign, but he was limited to nine between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. So far this year, he has posted two sacks and four pressures, an indication he can still be impactful when on the field. The Bolts lead the league in scoring defense, but they have managed only 12 sacks on the year; Bosa will look to assist in that department beginning on Sunday.