Did Joey Bosa just take a veiled shot at the Los Angeles Chargers?

Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa may have just taken a shot at his former Los Angeles Chargers team.

Aug 18, 2022; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa (97) reacts during joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers cut ties with Joey Bosa earlier this offseason, a decision that caught no one by surprise given his injury history and declining production.

Bosa ultimately signed with the Buffalo Bills, and apparently, he is already enjoying his time in Buffalo. So much so that he kind of, sort of took a shot at the Chargers in the process.

While speaking to reporters during Bills offseason workouts, Bosa expressed how excited he is to be back in a 4-3 scheme, something he had not been playing over his last few seasons Los Angeles.

"It's exciting for me, no more outside linebacker," Bosa said. "I'm ready to get my hand back in the dirt, get back to the six technique and rush the passer."

Now, to be fair, Bosa's best years did come early on in his career when the Chargers ran a 4-3 rather than a 3-4. He racked up three double-digit sack campaigns over the course of his first four NFL seasons between 2016 and 2019 and it probably would have been four straight had it not been for the Ohio State product being limited to seven games in 2018.

But there was also another factor holding Bosa back, and it had nothing to do with the defensive scheme: it was injuries.

The 29-year-old has not played a full season since 2019, and you want to hear something funny? During his first year playing in a 3-4 defense with the Bolts in 2021, he managed to stay relatively healthy (he missed one game) and ended up registering 10.5 sacks.

So maybe it wasn't the scheme as much as it was Bosa's persistent injury issues?

To be perfectly honest, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Bosa probably is best-suited as a defensive end. He is just too big to rush the passer standing up, which was why he played down on the line at Ohio State and during his first five seasons with the Chargers.

But blaming the scheme for his lack of production in 2024 — when he logged 22 tackles and five sacks in 14 games — seems more like sour grapes than anything else.

Nov 21, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (97) celebrates the victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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