Work has started for Jim Harbaugh as he tries to stamp his style on the Los Angeles Chargers, which hired him last January.
The first thing he has to deal with is fixing the team's financial situation so that he can have more freedom in moving and adding players.
Joey Bosa's contract was first addressed after the veteran linebacker agreed to restructure the five-year, $135 million contract he signed in 2020.
The 28-year-old was initially viewed as the player who needed to be cut, mainly due to his contract and health issues.
The rumor allowed some football fans to dream of a partnership between Joey and his brother Nick at the San Francisco 49ers.
However, rumors of Harbaugh leaving the Chargers seem unfounded, given how his talk with Harbaugh turned out in late February.
Bosa told the New York Post's Jared Schwartz that he had a discussion with his incoming coach and said he has a lot of confidence in him and his coaching staff.
He believes that their new coach can take them to the next level but insists they are more concerned with taking care of things week by week.
Read more: Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, and 3 Other Highest-Paid Quarterbacks With No Super Bowl Win
"That's an expectation for sure," he said.
"I'd like to win Game 1 first, then we can talk about Week 2 and then Week 3. Sometimes getting caught up with all the Super Bowl talk and all the hype gets you unfocused and worrying about the wrong things when you should just be worrying about what's in front of you."
Fate of other Chargers
Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz are extra busy sorting their cap ceiling this week.
Aside from Bosa, another player who agreed to a restructured deal is his lineback partner Khalil Mack.
The 33-year-old was supposed to receive $23.25 million this 2024 season but chose to take a pay cut of around four million to stay with the team. The restructured contract also prevents him from getting franchise-tagged by 2025.
When the new season opens, wide receiver Keenan Allen will no longer be with the team. He, Bosa, and Mack account for the team's highest cap this year.
The Chargers traded him to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick, freeing themselves of a $34.7 million salary cap hit.
The team also released Mike Williams, saving themselves $20 million. He is coming off an injury-riddled season, but many still expect the 27-year-old wide receiver to find a team before the new season starts.
Other Chargers released were linebacker Eric Kendricks (now with the 49ers), Gerald Everett (now with the Bears), and Kenneth Murray Jr. (now with the Tennessee Titans).
A key player has left, but the Chargers quickly replaced him by signing tight end Hayden Hurst from the Carolina Panthers.
Hurst, who recorded 18 catches for 183 yards in nine games last season, will reunite with Horitz, who was part of the staff that drafted him in 2018 as part of the Baltimore Ravens.
Related article: Chargers Release Mike Williams to Avoid Cap Hell, Where Will the Talented Wideout End Up?
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