COSTA MESA, Calif. _ Joey Bosa most assuredly was there this week for the Los Angeles Chargers' first official workout of organized team activities.
There remains uncertainty, however, regarding his appearance on "Game of Thrones."
"I still don't 100% know if it was me or not," Bosa explained. "I'm going to go with it. Of course, (Green Bay quarterback) Aaron Rodgers gets a whole five seconds of him getting blown up."
Bosa, like Rodgers, was cast as an extra for an episode that aired this month. He described the filming taking place in "freezing cold" Belfast "in the middle of the night."
Unlike Rodgers, whose face appeared more clearly, Bosa's image was fuzzy, shadowy and on screen so briefly that he's still not sure if it was, in fact, his image.
"Maybe if it just timed up differently," he said, "not with the darkest episode ever made in TV history, you could have seen me a little better."
The Chargers anticipate Bosa being much tougher to miss this season. He joined the team's offseason program looking leaner and having avoided surgery on his left foot.
Bosa was out for the first nine games last year because of an injury suffered in early August. His foot has continued to heal, although he said he still deals with occasional soreness.
He added that the discomfort isn't physically limiting before saying, "I'm as fast and strong as I've ever been in my life." Bosa finished 2018 with 23 combined tackles and 5.5 sacks in seven games.
"You can count on Joey," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "He's going to come back in great shape. He looks awesome. He feels really good. To get him back on the field _ just that brotherhood part where the guys are together again. I think that's important."
The two most prominent Chargers missing for the start of OTAs were running back Melvin Gordon and edge rusher Melvin Ingram.
Nothing is mandatory for the players during the NFL offseason until mini-camp, which the Chargers have set for June 11-13. Throughout the league, there are players who prefer to work out on their own until mandatory camp.
Still, coach Anthony Lynn, while praising the Chargers who were present, made it clear he wished the team would have had full attendance.
"I can only worry about the 98% that are here," he said. "I'm glad they're here. ... I think this is a very important time of the season. This is when we build the team, right now.
"I just know in the two months that we have together, we're better off being with each other. That's my personal feeling. ... They get three months _ 3 { months _ to do their own thing."
Lynn said he had not specifically reached out to any of his players regarding the voluntary offseason program. He did note that he had been in touch with Ingram to congratulate him on the recent birth of his child.
Bosa said he chose to rejoin his teammates this week because this phase allows for 11-on-11 work without contact. Unlike individual drills, full-team situations are difficult to replicate.
"It's 10 practices and then a mini-camp, so it's hardly that much work," Bosa said. "It's a good time to knock the rust off and get practicing with your hands and pass rush. If you miss all of this and you show up in camp, you're rusty then. You want to be rolling by that point."
Though the Chargers are hoping for a full season of the Bosa from 2017 _ 70 tackles, 12.5 sacks, Pro Bowl selection _ they'll be getting a Bosa who looks different in one respect.
After wearing No. 99 his first three NFL seasons, he has switched to No. 97, which he wore in high school and at Ohio State.
His father, John, who played three seasons in the NFL, wore No. 97. Bosa's brother, Nick, the second overall pick in the draft in April, will wear No. 97 with San Francisco.
"We've been wearing that through high school and college," Bosa said. "I mean, my brother wore my exact jersey through high school. ... It's just a cool tradition. I'd like to keep it going."
