From the head coach to the players, the Chargers knew they'd all be asked the same question as they left the field following today's walk through.
How did Joey Bosa look in his first practice since signing his four-year contract with the Bolts?
According to Mike McCoy, the defensive end looked the same as he did during OTAs.
"It was great to get him here," he said. "We couldn't wait to get him here, and he looked as expected (which is) in shape, (and) ready to roll. (He's) a guy who loves to play. The energy, the passion he comes to work with every day. He was that way all day yesterday either in the weight room, in the meetings (or) no matter where it was. You go out there and see it when he goes through individual drills (today). He looked like the way he did when he left."
Even though it was merely a walk through, Bosa said it felt good to knock off some rust.
"It was nice actually getting to run some plays," he said. "It's just going to take a little bit of time to get back in the rhythm of things and get all the plays. I spent some extra time with coach yesterday, and I'm going to spend extra time with him today and I'm sure throughout rest of the week to get up to pace."
Similar to McCoy, Bosa's teammates got a sense of what the defensive end will bring to the table even with the expected growing pains.
"It was good to have Joey back," Corey Liuget said. "He wasn't really saying much because he's still a rookie so he is feeling his way through things. It was good to see him out there working. We could tell that he definitely had been working out while he was away. That was obvious. He was in good shape."
Perhaps no one knows Bosa better than fellow rookie and former Ohio State teammate Joshua Perry. The inside linebacker has known Bosa on and off the field for a number of years, and explained how the defensive end looked like his old self.
"Joey came back ready to roll like he said he would. Guys received him well. We're all excited to have him back. I'm looking forward to building the bond like we did back in school together. But he looked like Joey today."
As for Bosa, he was pleased with his performance while knowing there are still hurdles to clear before he is ready for game action. For instance, he has yet to practice with pads on as the last time he wore them was during his final collegiate game on New Year's Day.
"I still haven't put pads on, so I'm sure that is going to be the hardest thing to get adjusted to….(My teammates) have all been really cool with welcoming me back, so it's been fun (today)."
