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Kris Rhim, ESPN
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Joey Bosa, who has been sidelined because of an injury since Week 3, said Friday he expected to play a limited role in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
Bosa, who has been listed with a hip injury, said he has a glute strain that affected his sciatic nerve and caused “some of the worst pain I’ve ever dealt with.”
Bosa said he began feeling discomfort in the days leading up to the Chargers’ Week 3 game against the Steelers, and on the first snap, his leg gave out, when he was driven to the ground by Steelers tackle Broderick Jones.
“I definitely didn’t expect it to be as bad as it has been,” Bosa said. “And then it just kept dragging and dragging. Here we’re five weeks later, or however long it’s been, so it was tough.”
Bosa was also limited in the Chargers’ Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers because of a back injury. He played only 14 snaps but said it was unrelated to the glute strain.
In his lone healthy game of the season, Bosa dominated in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders, finishing with 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack, and 4 quarterback pressures.
“He is that player,” coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game. “Saw it in the production, in the tackles, in the hustle. He was great against the run and unblockable in the pass; a huge game.”
Bosa’s talent has never been a question, but injuries have kept him from showing it on the field with consistency. He played only 14 games combined in the 2022 and 2023 seasons and played 16 snaps since Week 1 this season.
He also sat out three weeks of offseason practice after breaking his left hand in a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 4. Bosa had surgery and practiced with a club following the injury.
After breaking his hand, Bosa said he hoped the injury bug was behind him, and missing time with another injury this year put him in a “dark place.”
“I feel like I’ve been letting my team down missing these games,” he said. “Letting everybody down, letting coaches down. Letting the organization down. Letting myself down and it just sucks how these years have gone, the last few years.”
“I definitely hit a low point dealing with this, but it’s made me stronger mentally,” Bosa said. “When you’re in it, it feels hopeless sometimes and like, ‘Man, I don’t want to do this.'”
Bosa said the time with his family and therapist kept him focused while he rehabbed, and he’s hoping to return to a full workload after this weekend’s game and put together a few more good seasons.
“I think I have a few years, maybe, hopefully, a few good years left, and I just want to do everything I possibly can to take advantage of my opportunity,” Bosa said.