Chargers takes on cutting Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack retirement, free agency and more

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL right now ahead of the offseason, in part because the speculation around the futures of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack continues to ramp up.

Here are some quick-hitting thoughts on top items around Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers.

Joey Bosa cut?

It has always felt like things were leading to the Chargers cutting Bosa, which would create roughly $25 million in cap space and $11 million in dead money. Bosa, too, has sounded like a guy who knows he won’t be playing for much longer. But maybe it doesn’t have to be that simple. He took a pay cut last year to stick around and perhaps that can be on the table again via cap shenanigans, even if it’s a short-term extension. He’s a valuable member of a rotation still and it’s not like the Chargers won’t have the cap space. They’re already accustomed to Justin Herbert’s big cap hits on his big extension, anyway. Don’t go guaranteeing Bosa gets cut just yet.

Khalil Mack’s future?

Don’t let that man out the door. It’s as simple as that. Long-term names like Tuli Tuipulotu might seem appealing. But despite being 33 years old, Mack clearly has plenty to offer from a production standpoint, never mind a locker room leadership angle. A unit about to go through a bunch of roster churn doesn’t need to take that production or leadership hit right now for the sake of ample cap space.

Why not both?

How many teams would love to have a pairing like Bosa and Mack – even with all their well-known drawbacks – right now? The answer is most. The challenges that come with trying to navigate keeping both classify as great problems to have. Keeping both would mean solid production in 2025, plus delay the need to go get a high-end pass-rusher early in a draft and prioritize other bigger problem areas, particularly on the interior trenches on both sides of the ball and the secondary.

Quentin Johnston truth hurts

Johnston is a polarizing figure right now for fans, but frankly, his first-round status is doing most of the positive legwork for him. His good games – like the 186-yard outburst in the season finale – are huge. But the lack of route versatility and the massive drop issues (he caught 55 of 91 targets this year) would have him riding the bench on most teams. The small glimpses he’s shown shouldn’t encourage the Chargers not to address the position multiple times this offseason. Johnston, unfortunately, has the look of a third or fourth wideout at best. Splash games against lowly teams like the Raiders can only go so far.

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