San Diego Chargers pull offer for Joey Bosa

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Rookie linebacker Joey Bosa still hasn't signed a contract with the San Diego Chargers.

Now he is becoming a distraction, even before taking his first snap with the team.

On Wednesday, the Chargers pulled its offer for the Ohio State product.

The team issued a statement, where it said Bosa's offer included a signing bonus payment that was larger than any rookie has gotten in the last two NFL Drafts. Bosa was also set to receive more money in 2016 than every rookie in the draft class, other than Carson Wentz. Bosa's proposed deal was the "largest payment and the highest percentage of signing bonus received in the first calendar" year for any first round pick by the Chargers since the start of the NFL's 2011 collective bargaining agreement.

"Our contract discussions and offers to the representatives of Joey Bosa have been both fair and structurally consistent with the contracts of every other Chargers player," the Chargers statement said.

"We gave Joey's representatives our best offer last night, which was rejected today," the statement said. "The offer that we extended was for Joey to contribute during all 16 games and beyond. Joey's ability to contribute for an entire rookie season has now been jeopardized by the valuable time he has missed with his coaches and his teammates. Since Joey will not report at this time, his ability to produce not just early in the season, but throughout the entire season, has been negatively impacted."

"As a result, we will restructure our offer since Joey will be unable to contribute for the full 16 game season without the adequate time on the practice field, in the classroom, and in preseason games."

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken reported that after Bosa's rejection of the Chargers' latest offer, talks are "nowhere." On Tuesday, ESPN's Eric D. Williams reported that the Chargers are preparing for week one without Bosa. Gehlken reported that the Chargers offered an 85 percent cash payout of his $17 million signing bonus this year.

The All-American defensive lineman had 26 sacks and 148 tackles in three seasons with the Buckeyes. Bosa, 21, was the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.