It appears that Chargers star defensive end Joey Bosa will finally make his 2018 debut. Bosa has been dealing with a bone bruise all season long, but after returning to the practice field earlier this week, the third-year pro will finally see game action as the Bolts host the division rival Broncos this afternoon. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that his source would be “shocked” if Bosa does not play today (Twitter link).
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears the same thing, and he tweets that the number of snaps Bosa receives today will of course depend on how he feels. But Schefter noted that Bosa was part of the Chargers’ regular defensive rotation during practice, so he may even see close to a full workload.
In any event, Bosa’s return should be a huge boost to the 7-2 Chargers, who are still in the race for the AFC West title and who are certainly in the driver’s seat for a wildcard spot if nothing else. It is also particularly timely in light of the fact that Los Angeles just lost starting linebacker Denzel Perryman for the rest of the season.
In his first two NFL seasons, Bosa racked up a combined 23 sacks and 111 tackles. The Bolts have the former No. 3 overall pick under contract through 2019 and will control him through at least 2020 via the fifth year option. He earned Pro Bowl honors last season and will further aid a pass rush that has still been pretty productive in his absence. The Chargers’ pass defense is the eighth-best in the league, per Football Outsiders’ advanced metrics, and the team has compiled 26 sacks, which is the 10th-highest total in the league.