We learned yesterday that Ohio State Buckeyes star defensive end Nick Bosa won’t come back to the team after injuring his core muscle that required surgery after a win versus TCU. Bosa is tabbed as the No. 1 overall prospect for the NFL draft, so reinjuring himself trying to come back this season could hurt him monetarily.
Bosa’s father stated that the timeline for a return if he did decide to comeback was 12 weeks after the surgery which would’ve pushed him to a bowl game return mainly the College Football Playoffs which the Buckeyes currently have a strong case in being one of the four teams at the end. We’ve never seen a player focus on a draft on a team still with College Football Playoff hopes, but it is still the right decision for a player locked to be a Top 3 pick.
The reason this is smart, it might suck as Buckeyes fan or a fan of college football, but if you see Jaylon Smith of Notre Dame. Smith ended up being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round, but he was a lock to be a Top 10 pick before being injured in a bowl game. Michigan tight end Jake Butt was a lock for the first round and played in a bowl game and tore his knee BOOM he’s a fifth round pick by the Denver Broncos. Players like Leonard Fournette, Chirstian McCaffrey and Denzel Ward just to name a few skipped their team’s bowls and secured top of the first round money.
Bosa was first team All-American last season and the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. This year he had four sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in three games. He will finish his career with 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss.
He is the bother of Joey Bosa who was the third pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Diego (Los Angeles) Chargers.
At the end of the day, cash and your career rules football is the most unforgiving sport that we all know and love. One day you are the man, one injury later they are cutting you or making you reconstruct your contract that you thought you would be set for life with. It is a dirty game so when you can make a move to secure your future you have to take that seriously. Will this happen more? Maybe, but a lot of players won’t be in the same position as Bosa because there are so many variables. It is a positive for Chase Young and other Buckeye defensive lineman more opportunity for snaps and exposure.
