LA Chargers’ Joey Bosa is fined $55,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and public criticism of officials after he claimed he was fed up with them in X-rated locker rooms
LA Chargers star edge rusher Joey Bosa was fined a staggering $55,546 for two counts of unsportsmanlike conduct and public criticism of officials after the 31-30 playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bosa was fined $29,785 and $13,261 respectively for the two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, along with $12,500 for his comments.
Speaking to reporters from his locker after the game, an apparently still angry Bosa said he was “fed up with those damn people,” in reference to the officials.
Joey Bosa was fined $55,000 for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and criticism of officers
Bosa said the officials (pictured before the game) “ruined” LA’s season and he’s “fed up” with them
“It’s a heated game, I’m in pain out there, I’m playing with half a leg, I’m getting dragged to the ground,” he began. “Maybe some of them weren’t as obvious as I thought, but I just think there needs to be more responsibility.
“If I tell them anything, I’ll get a $40,000 fine, but if they screw up a phone call that ruins an entire team’s season, they’re probably back in the locker room like, ‘Haha, got that a**hole, took him 15 yards, what a loser.”
“I guarantee that’s what they’re fucking talking about in the background. I’m sick of these damn people.’
Bosa’s anger came to a boiling point late on when he was caught on camera smashing his helmet onto the turf after believing he missed a false start penalty, which then led to an unsportsmanlike conduct call.
He thought the officials had missed a penalty and vented his frustration on his helmet
Bosa lost his temper and slammed his helmet to the ground near the Chargers touchline
The penalty set the Jaguars up for not only a crucial touchdown, but also a successful two-point conversion attempt amid the comeback effort.
After the loss, head coach Brandon Staley admitted Bosa was frustrated but insisted the players shouldn’t let their frustration get the best of them as it “hurts the team”.
“I think he was frustrated,” Staley said. “There were a lot of things that accumulated over the course of the game. And he tried to talk to the officials about it.
“But we can’t lose our composure like this. We have to make sure we stay on the high side of things. And you can’t hurt the team that way.”
Head coach Brandon Staley insisted the players “cannot harm the team in this way”.