After spending 12 games on injured reserve after undergoing groin surgery last season, Chargers star edge rusher Joey Bosa is heading into the 2023 season bigger and stronger. The process of getting bigger and stronger has apparently involved eating up to 5,000 calories per day.
The former Ohio State star is trying to get back to the 265-270 pound range after playing the 2022 season at 250 pounds. At times during his collegiate career, he even got up to 280 pounds.
“Eating isn’t really enjoyable these days,” Bosa said, via ESPN. “It’s more so just part of the job.”
“I specifically tried to really eat good and put some weight on this offseason, get back to my weight I was at a few years ago, where I could really use my power,” Bosa added after a training camp practice. “Really handle guys in the run and be more effective in that part of the game.”
Last season, Bosa had the least productive season of his career, as expected due to his groin injury. He posted 10 tackles with 2.5 sacks in five games played in the regular season. When he returned from injury, the 6-foot-5 defender added a tackle in the postseason loss to Jacksonville.
Since going No. 3 overall to the Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft, Bosa has racked up 60.5 career regular-season sacks with 14 forced fumbles.
This year, he enters the fourth year of his $135 million contract extension that runs through 2025.
Bosa pushing 265 for eighth NFL season
The Chargers coaches are fully behind Bosa’s plan to bulk up. Long-time Chargers outside linebackers coach coach Giff Smith has seen the former Buckeye gain power over the offseason.
“When we went to this system of defense, he thought he needed to be a little bit lighter and he was dealing with some nagging injuries, so you always lose a little weight when you have some lower half injuries,” Giff said. “He’s finally healthy and he was able to add the muscle mass, good muscle mass, and he feels comfortable. And then it does expose the power. Everybody knows how gifted he is with his hands and his movement, but when you can shock [opponents] with the power, it just has another element to his game.”
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, who implemented the 3-4 defense when he took over the team in 2021, also heavily favored the weight gain for Bosa.
“That’s where he’s most comfortable,” Staley said. “You have to be able to establish power as a rusher, that’s what’s going to make you really, really dangerous. He has some of the best hands in the NFL, which is kind of what he’s famous for, but to set those hands up, you have to really establish power.”
The Chargers begin the preseason with a late kickoff versus the L.A. Rams on Saturday.
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