They all gathered around Joey Bosa on Tuesday, the teammates he hadn’t seen or practiced beside in months. Damion Square wrapped his left arm over the rookie’s shoulder. Darius Philon and Tenny Palepoi crossed their arms and squatted to his side. Brandon Mebane stood tall and puffed his chest.

It was picture time.

Welcome back.

For the first time since June 7, Bosa practiced at Chargers Park. The workout came one day after the defensive end signed his contract, ending a dispute that consumed all of training camp. Reviews were positive for the No. 3 overall pick in his return, and teammates seemed to embrace him — not just during an impromptu photoshoot for reporters. Even so, Bosa will spectate Thursday when the team hosts the 49ers in its exhibition finale.


Bosa was asked after practice if he’d play in the game.

1 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 2 / 19 Getting a fist bump from Tenny Palepoi, Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 3 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 4 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 5 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 6 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 7 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 8 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 9 / 19 Chargers Tenny Palepoi (95) and Corey Liuget (94)welcome Joey Bosa to practice late Tuesday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 10 / 19 Chargers along with Joey Bosa pose for news photographers who were photographing Bosa’s first team practice late Tuesday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 11 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 12 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 13 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 14 / 19 Chargers along with Joey Bosa pose for news photographers who were photographing Bosa’s first team practice late Tuesday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 15 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 16 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 17 / 19 Chargers Tenny Palepoi (95) and Corey Liuget (94)welcome Joey Bosa to practice late Tuesday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 18 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda) 19 / 19 Joey Bosa defensive end for the San Diego Chargers attended his first practice with the team late Tuesday morning. Yesterday on Monday the Chargers have signed their No. 3 overall pick. (Nelvin C. Cepeda)

Coach Mike McCoy was, too.

Bosa deferred to the coaching staff in his response, and McCoy was noncommittal, saying only that a plan was in place. But rest assured, it isn’t happening. Not even the thought of it is being entertained.


The 21-year-old has yet to practice once in pads as a Charger, as Tuesday’s session, like the workouts Bosa attended in the spring, was in shorts. The Chargers’ next practice is a crawl-speed walk-through Wednesday at MCAS Miramar. Those two practices are inadequate preparation for someone who missed a past month of team work. Bosa also is on the roster-exempt list, a provision the NFL granted the Chargers when they submitted their 75-man roster Tuesday.

Bosa must be activated before he can play. He won’t by Thursday.

His first practice, though, went well. Teammates eased his transition.

“It means a lot that they’re all welcoming me back with open arms like that,” Bosa said. “They all understand the business of the NFL and why I wasn’t here, so there’s no bad blood between any of us. They’re just excited to have me out here, and I’m excited to be out here.”


“He looked as expected,” McCoy said. “In shape. Ready to roll. A guy who loves to play — the energy, the passion he comes to work with every day. He was that way all day (Monday), whether it was in the weight room, whether it was meetings, whatever it was. When you go out there and see him go through individual drills, he looked like the way he did when he left.”

It’s catch-up time for Bosa.

The Chargers are deeper in their defensive installation than they were in organized team activities when Bosa last was here. He logged extra hours Monday at the team facility, receiving private instruction from defensive line coach Giff Smith. They were scheduled for another such session Tuesday, Bosa said, and those meetings likely will become a regularity for them. The team is working to prepare Bosa to be on the field Sept. 11 for the season opener against the Chiefs.

While the organization has yet to commit to whether Bosa will play at Arrowhead Stadium, he definitely has a chance.


The same can’t be said for Thursday.