Imagine, for a moment, being Joey Bosa's mother.
Your 21-year-old son is the only NFL draft pick not in training camp. Being an outlier casts a negative light on him; while some fans side with him, others naturally back the team. You believe your son is being dragged through the mud by an organization that has not communicated with Bosa's agent in 10 days, that has yet to propose a contract structure resembling recent deals for a No. 3 overall pick. Oh, and by the way, had the home-state Jaguars drafted your son fifth overall instead of the Chargers at No. 3, none of this would be a problem.
Well, she is reacting as parents sometimes do.
A source authenticated a Facebook comment left by Cheryl Bosa on Sunday afternoon. In it, she voices frustration at the situation. "It bums me out for him so much," she wrote to a friend. "Wish we pulled an Eli Manning on draft day."
Manning, of course, shunned the Chargers before the 2004 NFL draft.
His father Archie said that he didn't want his son to play for the franchise. The team ultimately drafted Manning first overall anyway only to trade him to the Giants in a package featuring quarterback and No. 4 overall pick Philip Rivers.
While that moment in Chargers history remains something of a soft spot for team fans, it is important to note Bosa has not requested a trade and does not plan to do so, a source said Sunday. Cheryl's comments do not necessarily reflect those of her son. And she, just like seemingly all who are invested in the situation, can't help but wish the entire ordeal was avoided in the first place.
Instead, it continues.
The Chargers will hold their seventh practice of training camp Monday at 3 p.m. Bosa won't be there, as the stalemate between the two sides continues.
