Chargers’ Joey Bosa says he wants to win more than ever

COSTA MESA — Joey Bosa delivered a straightforward message Thursday afternoon. He stood behind a silver podium outside the Chargers’ locker room, dwarfing it, in fact. His muscular arms were all the more impressive as he gripped it tightly. His hair was trimmed short, his beard full. An awning shielded him from the blazing sun as he spoke after the final practice of Week 0.
“Every year, I want to play great, I want to help my team,” he said. “I think that more than ever I just want to win some games. Doing my job is, I think, more important than ever. Obviously, I want to be dynamic and make plays and all of that, but I think being a team player is the most that I can be while still going out there and being myself and making these plays. With the talent that we have, especially with ‘K-Mack’ on the other side, if we just do our thing, stay consistent, then we’ll both be successful.”
Bosa referred to his fellow edge rusher Khalil Mack by his nickname.
“When I say that, it’s not like I didn’t want to win before,” Bosa continued. “As I get older, the opportunities get smaller and smaller. When you’re a rookie, you have your whole career ahead of you. The personal goals and the personal accolades, I feel like, as you get older, just don’t quite mean as much.
“Obviously, winning (NFL) Defensive Player of the Year would be an honor and all of that, but going out there with your team, with your friends, with your brothers that you’ve built the connection with, I think is a much more lasting accomplishment. I’ve won a (high school) state championship, I’ve won a (collegiate) national championship, so to be able to be the best in the world … it would be incredible.”
If the NFL pundits are to be believed, then the Chargers’ window for a Super Bowl trip is still open. True, the presence of the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, plus other contenders as well as the Chargers’ history of playing the role of being their own worst enemies, complicates matters.
Windows don’t stay open forever, though.
Bosa stressed the need to seize the day, seize the moment while he still can.
So, when did this newfound sense of urgency emerge?
Bosa said it was always present, thanks to former teammates such as defensive lineman Linval Joseph and other veterans. It also comes from Mack, whose individual accolades also have overshadowed his accomplishments with his NFL teams over nine seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Chargers.
Bosa has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times in seven seasons.
Mack has been picked seven times, including after the 2022 season.
Having teammates as close friends has aided Bosa’s drive to win over the years.
“I’ve had vets (as teammates) – I’ve mentioned Linval a lot – where they’re just so outgoing and they care so much about everybody else,” he said. “Obviously, they want to play great themselves. It’s more about bringing up the guys around them. Linval, I always talk about how if I ever had a bad attitude or wasn’t ready to go, he would give it to me and get me ready to go.
“That energy and camaraderie, being with guys for longer, I feel a lot closer. I think that it’s also maybe a maturity thing, a little bit. Khalil, of course, he has helped that. Like I said, I’ve always had friends in the locker room, of course, and I still talk to guys that have left. It just feels like a really tight group. We’re out getting dinner or watching the fights, doing this or that, it feels like we’re really growing close.
“We want to play well for each other.”
Now the trick is to pass the same mindset along to younger players on the Chargers’ roster such as rookie edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, a second-round draft pick from USC, and edge rushers Brevin Allen and Andrew Farmer, who signed as undrafted free agents.
“You can tell your younger guys all you want, but it’s a process,” Bosa said. “The way that you learn best is through experience and going through it yourself. With the young guys that we have and the rookies, I think the main thing is that we have to lead by example and show it through our actions.
“Just try to lead by example and always try to bring positive energy.”