Joey Bosa's Mom Isn't Helping Things

Joey Bosa and the San Diego Chargers remain at an impasse over his rookie contract. Neither side is budging as the Bolts progress in training camp and their prized first-year defensive end falls further behind his teammates. Now Bosa’s mom just threw gasoline on the brush fire.

Over the weekend Cheryl Bosa wrote on Facebook, “I wish we pulled an Eli Manning on draft day.” As a San Diego native, that comment not only stings, it also burns. Hey Cheryl, while you’re at it, why don’t you just give every member of the fan base a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

I get that Ms. Bosa is frustrated for her son — heck, I’m frustrated for her son — but when you invoke the name “Eli Manning” in relation to the San Diego Chargers, you’re not going to get a sympathetic response. Eli is our Voldemort, he who shall not be named. And you just named him.

Ms. Bosa certainly has the right to be upset, she just wants what’s best for her son. I get it. Cheryl Bosa absolutely has a right to an opinion on the matter, and certainly can publicly defend her son. But bringing up Eli Manning’s name in relation to the Chargers was an enormous mistake.

When Manning and his dad openly rejected the idea of ever playing in San Diego, it wasn’t just a shot at the Chargers, it was an attack on the city itself. Most citizens of America’s Finest City took it as a major blow to civic pride, as if somehow the town couldn’t measure up to the glitz of New York City. The Manning saga wasn’t some kind of dispute between two football parties, it was seen as a rejection of the entire city. The fact that one of the NFL’s most prominent families was taking a shot at our hometown was deeply wounding. By even mentioning that incident in association with her son, Ms. Bosa is unwittingly angering a significant portion of the fan base.

While she may not have meant to tick off Chargers fans, that’s exactly what Bosa’s mom did. Even bringing up “the Manning Affair” automatically creates a bad vibe. Now, even when her son does sign, she’ll be viewed in a negative light by the fan base for a while.

The Chargers have been obstinate in their refusal to give Bosa what he wants, and Bosa’s agents have similarly not come to the table willing to compromise. It’s ridiculous and both sides need to solve this and move on. The Chargers need Bosa to help their defense as much as he needs to get his tail into camp so he can improve.

When San Diego selected Bosa with the third overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the team was expecting to get a franchise cornerstone. Now the Chargers have a mess on their hands. This isn’t helping matters.