Larry Johnson knows Joey Bosa well, having coached him on the defensive line at Ohio State the past two years, and Johnson said Wednesday he’s confident the defensive end won’t sit out this NFL season, despite the current contract impasse with the San Diego Chargers.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think he’s going to play, I do,” Johnson said after Ohio State’s practice Wednesday. “I believe he’s going to camp and play, or show up.”
That’s despite the case of Bosa and his contract holdout from the San Diego Chargers, who made him the third overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, taking another curious turn Wednesday when the Chargers withdrew their latest offer and said Bosa now likely won’t be ready for a full season.
Johnson has spoken with Bosa, who is staying in shape working out at a Florida facility.
“He’s doing good,” Johnson said. “His spirits, he wants to play football, but he understands the business side of the NFL. But he wants to play, so he’s dying to get on the field.”
“But I can tell you that when he gets there — he’s working hard. I talked to his dad (John Bosa) today, he’s doing everything he can to get ready.”
Asked whether he thought Bosa could still have a good rookie year despite the holdout that’s kept him out of almost the whole preseason camp and tune-up games, Johnson said “If he goes in in great shape. Other than (learning) the playbook and playing with grown men, yeah, he can catch up, playing the position he’s going to play.”
Current Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard was Bosa’s understudy the past two years, even taking his regular spot in the lineup when Bosa was suspended for the opener last year and then kicked out of the Fiesta Bowl with Notre Dame after a head-first hit.
“I’m pretty close with him, I know it’s killing him because he loves playing football,” Hubbard said. “And I’m sure he’s just heartbroken by not being able to be out there.”
Recovering from surgery to repair a knee injury suffered during his senior high school season in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he has been on a limited schedule in practice the first three weeks of preseason camp.
“We’re still monitoring him a little bit; I’ve got a head count in my mind of what I want (him) to do in practice every day,” Johnson said. “I get to that number, I shut him down. As we go through the week I increase that number, but right now I’m trying ... to get him ready for next week.”
And does Johnson expect Nick Bosa to play in the opener against Bowling Green on Sept. 3?
“No question about it,” he said.