SAN DIEGO – Things turned ugly on Wednesday in the contract stalemate between the San Diego Chargers and unsigned rookie Joey Bosa, with the team pulling its best offer to the former Ohio State star after he declined to accept it.
The Chargers are a little more than two weeks away from their season opener at the Kansas City Chiefs, and appear no closer to signing the No. 3 overall selection in this year's draft.
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said for now, the Chargers will rely on other defensive linemen currently on the roster to fill the void.
"We'll go with what we have," Telesco said. "There's not really much you can do about it."
Some of the burning questions about the stalemate:
What is keeping Bosa from signing with the Chargers?
The sides are at an impasse over offset language and the earlier payment of signing bonus money. With the creation of the new collective bargaining agreement in 2011, rookie salaries are now guaranteed and slotted.
Bosa's salary is pegged at about $26 million over four years, with a $17 million signing bonus. The disagreement is over when that $17 million will be paid, and if offset language will be included in the contract structure.
The Chargers' latest offer included paying 85 percent of the signing bonus by December, with the rest paid out in March of next year. Bosa's camp reportedly wants all of the $17 million paid out by December, or the removal of offset language.
The Chargers are unwilling to budge on the removal of offset language and the payment of the full signing bonus by December.
Traditionally, the Chargers have included offset language in contracts to protect the franchise from paying a player's full salary in the unlikely event San Diego releases him during the guaranteed portion of his deal. Think Ryan Leaf.
Offset language allows the organization to pay the remaining portion of a player's salary not covered by the new team that signs the released player. Without offset language a player can "double dip," receiving a full salary from his previous team along with whatever money is negotiated with the new team.
How long do the Chargers have to sign him? And what happens if he holds out for the entire season?
Bosa cannot be traded this season. According to NFL rules, he had until Aug. 9 to sign his contract in order for the Chargers to trade his rights to another team. If Bosa were to remain unsigned this season, he is permitted only to sign with the Chargers until the first day of the 2017 draft.
It's possible Bosa could choose to take a principled stand and not play this season due to his frustration with how the Chargers have handled negotiations. But he wouldn't receive any compensation until he was drafted again in June.
The Chargers also wouldn't receive draft compensation next year if Bosa doesn't sign.
It's unlikely that Bosa would be selected as high as No. 3 overall in next year's draft after sitting out a year, making it a distinct possibility he would lose money by being drafted by a new team.
There have been instances when players have sat out an entire season and gone back into the draft.
Those include most notably Bo Jackson, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986. Jackson chose to play baseball and went back into the draft in 1987, when he was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round.
Others include quarterback Craig Erickson (fifth-round selection by Philadelphia Eagles in 1991, fourth-round selection by the Buccaneers in 1992), running back Melvin Bratton (sixth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 1988, seventh-round selection by the Denver Broncos in 1989) and offensive lineman Matt Darwin (fifth-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys in 1985, fourth-round pick by the Eagles in 1986).
A more realistic scenario is for Bosa to sign before the Week 1 game against Kansas City. That way he does not lose guaranteed money and will start the clock on his rookie deal.
Who will take his place in the lineup?
Second-year pro Darius Philon has been working with the first unit. At 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, Philon was a sixth-round selection in the 2015 draft out of Arkansas. San Diego head coach Mike McCoy has been pleased with Philon's progress during training camp.
Former Utah player Tenny Palepoi would serve as Philon's backup at defensive end. Neither possesses the polished pass-rushing skills and speed off of the edge that Bosa does, but both are decent interior pass-rushers and solid against the run.
Who was the last player to hold out?
Bosa's holdout is the longest since the current system was created by the new CBA in 2011.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, receiver Michael Crabtree was the last rookie to remain unsigned into the regular season. Selected No. 10 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2009 draft, Crabtree did not sign his rookie deal until Oct. 7 of the regular season.
Tackle Bryant McKinnie is the longest rookie to remain unsigned. Selected No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2002 draft, McKinnie did not sign his deal until Nov. 1 of that year.
The Chargers have a history of rookie first-round selections reporting late to Chargers Park, including LaDainian Tomlinson (2001, 30 days), Quentin Jammer (2002, 50 days), Philip Rivers (2004, 25 days), Shawne Merriman (2005, seven days) and Corey Liuget (2011, eight days).
Why haven't players held out under the new CBA and why is this different?
Under the old system, players could haggle over money, including the guaranteed and overall compensation of the contract.
However, with the creation of the rookie wage scale in the new CBA, each draft selection's salary is already slotted, typically smoothing out negotiations between teams and players.