Joey Bosa isn't known for displaying much emotion on or off the field but becoming the NFL's highest-paid defensive player has slightly taken him aback.
“The best moment was when I got that call from my dad. A lot of screaming, a lot of colorful language but it was a great moment in the car,” the Los Angeles Chargers defensive end said Monday. “I was telling him to stop because he was making me cry driving home. I was scared I was going to crash.
“It means the world. I had no real expectations on exactly where it was going to end up. It’s hard to even comprehend, you know, with all the amazing players that came before me and will come after me."
Bosa signed his five-year, $135 million extension over the weekend. The two sides agreed to terms last Tuesday when Chargers veterans reported to training camp for physicals. Bosa reported 10 minutes before the deadline because he was waiting in his car for the agreement to be reached.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Bosa acknowledged the extension came together faster than he expected because there weren't many conversations during the offseason due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic. There were two huge factors in Bosa's favor — the benchmark was established when Cleveland's Myles Garrett signed his five-year, $125-million extension three weeks ago and there were concerns Bosa would hold out again.
Bosa, who missed 31 days in 2016 after being the third overall pick out of Ohio State, remains one of the few first-round picks to hold out since the collective bargaining agreement established a rookie salary scale in 2011.
The Chargers were also eager to avoid a holdout involving one of their top players for a second straight season. Running back Melvin Gordon didn’t report until the fourth week of the regular season last year. He didn't receive an extension and signed with Denver during the offseason.
“They know what I bring to the team and I know my own value,” Bosa said. "I think they have seen the body of work. Neither one of us wanted to butt heads and I certainly didn’t want to go anywhere else.”
Bosa tied for second in the AFC last season with 11.5 sacks and he has had double-digit sacks in three of his four seasons. He was third among defensive ends and second in the AFC with 60 tackles, including 16 for loss, 25 quarterback hits and a forced fumble. He is averaging 0.78 sacks per game over his career (40 sacks in 51 games). That is third among players over the past four seasons with at least 40 games played.
He now becomes the face of a franchise that is moving into SoFI Stadium in Inglewood and looking to bounce back from a disappointing 5-11 campaign last year. Bosa and Melvin Ingram make up one of the best pass rushing duos in the league but got some help during the offseason with the signings of defensive tackle Linval Joseph and cornerback Chris Harris. The Chargers also traded into the first round of the draft to take linebacker Kenneth Murray.
Los Angeles also has safety Derwin James, who missed the first 10 games last season due to a foot injury after he was an All-Pro selection as a rookie. The identity of the team might be more geared toward defense following Philip Rivers' departure after 14 years as the starting quarterback.
“We’re adding more pieces to the puzzle. I mean, I think it’s up to us to create that identity and we might not know what it is yet, but this is the year to do it,” Bosa said.
Bosa doesn't know how long he will remain at the top of the league's pay chart among defensive players, but he has an idea that his brother, Nick, will surpass him in a couple years. Nick Bosa was the second overall pick by San Francisco last season and was an integral part of the 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl.
“It’ll probably be a short-lived record, which is great because I’m happy to just set the bar and, you know, maybe my brother in a few years will surpass me,” Joey Bosa said. “If anybody can do it, I know he can.”
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LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Anthony Joshua, the two-time former world heavyweight champion from Britain, was in a stable condition in the hospital Monday after being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two people who were close friends and team members, his promoter said.
Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing said on X that Joshua “sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment" and he will “remain there for observation.” It named Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele as the two passengers who had “tragically passed away.”
Photos on social media showed Joshua being extricated from a wrecked vehicle while he was wincing in pain.
“Following thorough clinical evaluations, medical professionals have confirmed that both patients (hospitalized after the accident) are stable and do not require any emergency medical intervention at this time,” a joint statement by Lagos and Ogun state governments said.
The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed the accident in a post on X, adding that the government had sent ambulances to the crash site.
The crash occurred on a major thoroughfare — the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which links Ogun state to Lagos, the country’s economic capital — at about 11 a.m. local time. Nigeria is the homeland of Joshua’s parents.
Ogun State Police earlier said in a statement: “The vehicle conveying Mr. Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated. Joshua, seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention with another injured person."
According to Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, preliminary investigations indicated the vehicle was “traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking maneuver and crashed into a stationary truck," which was by the side of the road.
The Ogun state government said that “preliminary reports indicate that two male foreign nationals died on the spot.”
Joshua beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Dec. 19 in a bout in Miami, which he was using to regain sharpness in the ring. He lost the world heavyweight title in 2021 to Oleksandr Usyk.
“Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,” Paul said Monday.
Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, called Joshua in hospital.
“I spoke with AJ on the phone to personally convey my condolences over the death of his two associates,” the president said on X. “I wished him a full and speedy recovery, and prayed with him. AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care. I also spoke with his mother and prayed for her. She was deeply appreciative of the call.”
No further details on Joshua's condition were given.
“Anthony Joshua is in an undisclosed hospital being treated for his injuries,” Lanre Ogunlowo, the commissioner of police for Ogun state, told the AP. He said he has no further information on the injuries.
Hearn had earlier told Daily Mail Sport that he was “away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident.
“We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images."
Joshua briefly went to boarding school in Nigeria at the age of 11. He returned there for the first time in 17 years in 2019, ahead of a fight against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua has been in talks to fight fellow Briton Tyson Fury in 2026.
AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
AP Sports Writer Steve Douglas in Sundsvall, Sweden, contributed to this report.
Anthony Joshua celebrates after his win in the heavyweight boxing match against Jake Paul, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Anthony Joshua stands on stage during a face-off against Jake Paul at a news conference promoting their upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
