Agent's Take: Joey Bosa, Chase Young headline 10 defensive bounce-back candidates for 2024 season

These big-name players are at the crossroads

By Joel Corry Aug 30, 2024 at 1:46 pm ET• 8 min read

Ten offensive players to keep an eye on were covered earlier in the week. The focus now turns to the other side of the ball. 

Every season, a different set of players face crossroads or have something to prove for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are related to age, contract or salary cap concerns, injury, poor performance or off-the-field issues. 

Here are 10 defensive players to keep an eye on during the 2024 season, who fit into one of those categories. 

Joey Bosa LAC • LB • #97 View Profile

The Chargers have been getting diminishing returns on their investment of making Bosa the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback in 2020 with a five-year, $135 million contract extension, averaging $27 million per year. Ability isn't the issue with Bosa. It's availability. He's been limited to 14 games over the last two seasons because of groin, hamstring, foot and toe injuries. Bosa took a $7 million pay cut from $22 million to $15 million with the opportunity to earn $4 million back through incentives in March to ensure he wouldn't be released.