It is easy for the wheels to turn.

Since Sunday, the Spanos family’s private plane has been docked in Joey Bosa’s hometown. Maybe the Chargers’ team brass is meeting up with him — no, General Manager Tom Telesco, President of Football Operations John Spanos and lead contract negotiator Ed McGuire all were at Tuesday’s practice in San Diego. Maybe Bosa is set to board a flight and join teammates in San Diego — no, negotiations haven’t reached a stage where that is considered imminent.

Pump the brakes.

It seems this is much ado about nothing.


The Chargers’ private plane indeed is in Fort Lauderdale. But the reason, a source familiar with the situation said Tuesday, is “totally” unrelated to football. There was no elaboration on that reason, and there probably was no need. Still, interest and speculation surrounding the ongoing contract dispute remain fervent as usual.

On Tuesday, it was a flight tracking that sparked social-media chatter as to whether or not a development with Bosa was underway.

A fair question to ask, given the connectable dots.

But over the course of this impasse, which ramped up in late July, media coverage at times has outdone itself. On Monday, innocuous press-conference answers from coach Mike McCoy on Bosa — “We’ll have a plan for him whenever he’s here” — helped inspire an ESPN headline of “Chargers’ Mike McCoy prepared to start regular season without Joey Bosa.” There have been talk-show radio segments and blogs blasting CAA’s Todd France for how he’s handled Bosa’s contract negotiation, never mind the fact France hasn’t. The Chargers are dealing with Brian Ayrault as Bosa’s lead negotiator.


It was reported this month the Chargers wanted to offer Bosa around 50 percent cash payout of his signing bonus this calendar year. Their offer on July 28 was closer to 60 percent, and their reluctance to climb higher was rooted in their reluctance to negotiate against themselves. Ayrault exercised his right to remain insistent on no signing bonus deferment to 2017, given off-set language was featured in the proposed deal. For weeks, they’ve been unable to find common ground.

The two sides resumed communication a little more than a week ago. Soon enough, tangible developments on Bosa are expected to come.

There were none Tuesday.

At least, none related to the private plane parked in his backyard.


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