Joey Bosa reveals rare Jim Harbaugh trait that stands out to him

Los Angeles Chargers star Joey Bosa is getting ready for a season with yet another head coach, but he feels something special brewing this time. Bosa opened up to the New York Post about his first sit-down with head coach Jim Harbaugh and revealed his first impression of the former 49ers head coach.

“We sat down and probably talked for 30 minutes, an hour a couple of weeks ago,” Bosa told The Post. “Great first impressions. … I have a lot of confidence in him and the staff that he’s bringing around him. 

“I think he seems like a really genuine guy, which you don’t find that a lot in coaches all the time. He’s interesting. He loves football more than anything. I think all he wants to do is win. The way he talked about his feelings toward this job and toward the future was pretty exciting.” 

Since the Chargers drafted him in 2016, Bosa has been coached by Brandon Staley, Anthony Lynn and Mike McCoy. He’s also moving on to his fifth defensive coordinator in Jesse Minter.

Super Bowl expectations hit Chargers after Harbaugh hire

Despite all of the abrupt changes, Bosa is eager for the 2024 season to arrive. Expectations have gone through the roof with Harbaugh taking the reins less than a year removed from his NCAA national title. A Super Bowl is the next step, but the Chargers haven’t competed for one since 1994.

“That’s an expectation for sure,” Bosa 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. 

“… There’s a lot of talk of Super Bowl every year, and every year I kind of have a similar answer like ‘alright, let’s see how the first week goes and then we’ll talk about that.’”

Earlier this month, the Chargers star watched as his brother Nick and his 49ers lost Super Bowl LVIII to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was able to sympathize with his younger sibling considering the Chiefs also handed Los Angeles a loss in October.

“Disappointing ending, but had a good weekend out there [in Las Vegas] with family and friends,” Joey said. “I think [Nick’s] finally getting over it a little bit, it was a heartbreaker. But if anybody knows what it’s like to lose a close game to the Chiefs, it’s me, I’ve been there once before.”

This Monday, Bosa is competing in the Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship at the Santa Monica Pier in California. He’ll be eating next to some of the most notable competitive eaters in the world, including Joey Chestnut.