Grayson Weir
Videos by OutKick
Joey Bosa used to be like the rest of us. He used to enjoy sitting down at the table to take a break from the day and eat a well-cooked meal or some Chick-Fil-A. That is no longer the case.
Bosa doesn’t enjoy eating anymore. Where it used to be a pleasure, it is now a job.
The 28-year-old edge-rusher is entering his eighth year in the NFL after being drafted by the Chargers with the No. 3 overall pick in 2016. An injury cut most of his 2022 campaign short so the numbers weren’t there in the same way and he spent the offseason trying to get back to his best self.
A large part of that process was a bulk. Bosa packed on the pounds during the time away from the gridiron and is keeping a similar diet as the new seasons approaches.
He used to play at about 280 at Ohio State and played the early portion of his NFL career in the weight range of 265/270. He played last season closer to 250.
(Photos by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images, Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)
Bosa spent time in the weight room and in the kitchen to get back to where he was before and it took all of the pleasure out of enjoying food. It was, and is, strictly business.
Eating isn’t really enjoyable these days. It’s more so just part of the job.
— Joey Bosa, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN
Los Angeles outside linebackers coach Giff Smith thought that the weight gain would benefit Bosa. Bosa agreed.
Smith told Thiry that the goal was to regain the power that the Pro Bowler seemingly lacked a year ago.
When we went to [a new] system of defense [when head coach Brandon Staley was hired in 2021], he thought he needed to be a little bit lighter and he was dealing with some nagging injuries, so you always lose a little weight when you have some lower half injuries.
He’s finally healthy and he was able to add the muscle mass, good muscle mass, and he feels comfortable. And then it does expose the power.
Everybody knows how gifted he is with his hands and his movement, but when you can shock [opponents] with the power, it just has another element to his game.
— Giff Smith, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN
Staley was onboard with the bulk and Bosa went to work. Lifting and eating. Eating and lifting.
Joey Bosa’s weight gain is intense.
Bosa’s intake lands somewhere around 4,500 and 5,000 calories per day.
(Image courtesy: Los Angeles Chargers)
According to Thiry, his eating schedule looks something like this:
- Fluids and fruit before his run.
- A small breakfast after his run.
- Five additional meals throughout the day consisting of:
- A protein
- Vegetables
- Carbs, like chickpea pasta
- Snacks in between:
- Pretzels
- Nuts
- Fruit
- Smoothies
Bosa’s snack is oftentimes fruit covered in peanut butter. That way he gets the best of both worlds.
I’ll just eat berries in the peanut butter because my chef in Florida said that the fruit, you need a fat with the fruit for it to really have its whatever benefit. So that helps with the weight gain and getting all the vitamins and stuff from the fruit.
— Joey Bosa, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN
Bosa says that he has always had a strong metabolism that requires him to eat a “ridiculous” amount to keep his weight stagnant. To gain weight is a whole different beast.
And now he doesn’t enjoy eating anymore.
