The San Diego Chargers have a lengthy history of difficult player transactions. They’ve seemingly had problems with everything, including signing rookies, re-signing veterans, dealing with holdouts and trading guys.
The latest situation in this ongoing saga involved defensive end Joey Bosa, who the Chargers drafted with the third overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Bosa held out before finally signing a rookie contract Monday.
Most people have taken Bosa’s side in this scenario, including former Chargers safety Rodney Harrison.
“The San Diego Chargers are a bunch of bullies,” Harrison said Monday on PFT Live on NBC Sports Network. “If you look at the way they’ve handled business, why is it the San Diego Chargers out of all the teams have this issue? Because they are a bunch of bullies, and they haven’t treated their star players correctly. You look at Junior Seau and what they did to him. Look at how they treated me. Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers held out, Quentin Jammer, LaDainian Tomlinson.
“I know he came out and he was outspoken about the holdout but — guess what? — he held out, too. So when I look at the San Diego Chargers, I’d say this is why they’re an average organization, because of things like this. How can you draft a guy at the position that you drafted him in and not have him in camp?
“I think the San Diego Chargers are being a bunch of bullies and it just looks bad and reflects bad. If I’m a free agent, why the heck would I even think about going to San Diego if I know that this is the way they treat their players?”
Harrison, as he mentions above, was one of the players the Chargers probably wish they had a do-over with. He spent nine seasons with the Chargers after being selected in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft.
Harrison became one of the best safeties in the league, but before the 2003 season, he was released by San Diego, and people began to question if his career was over. Did he have anything left to give?
Two Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots later, that question was answered.
Thumbnail photo via Peter Casey/USA TODAY Sports Images
