Many San Diegans simply want to know, one way or the other, whether the city will be keeping its NFL team.

The Chargers want resolution, too.

The team is working toward an imminent resolution to its dealings with the Los Angeles Rams. And most everyone else in the league continues to confidently say the sides will reach an agreement soon.

“Their goal is the end of this week,” a source said Wednesday night, referring to the Chargers.


The person, who is not directly involved in the negotiations between representatives of both teams but has intimate knowledge of the proceedings, also said it appears moving to Los Angeles “is what they want to do. That’s where … it’s headed.”

However, that person and others close to the situation continue to question whether Chargers chairman Dean Spanos’ heart is truly in a move and, thus, whether he and his siblings will actually execute the decision to uproot the franchise from its home of 55 years.

“I believe Dean will be very, very unhappy in Los Angeles,” said one NFL source, echoing a sentiment shared by others around the league. At least one of Spanos’ fellow team owners has voiced that belief to Spanos in the past two weeks.

Since owners voted Jan. 12 to allow the Rams to move from St. Louis and give the Chargers the option to join them in L.A., it has been considered a foregone conclusion the two teams will reach a deal on sharing the Inglewood Stadium planned by Rams owner Stan Kroenke.


The NFL and Rams constructed the framework of the deal in the week leading up to that Jan. 12 meeting, and the Chargers began to become familiar with the proposal the night before the owners’ vote.

Chargers sources and others in the NFL have said a deal with the Rams is necessary even if the team is going to try to get a stadium built in San Diego. The Chargers need to know what is available in L.A. before assessing the possibilities in their current market.

The Chargers and Rams are closing in on a limited partnership deal. The Rams would assume all the risk and realize the majority of revenue. The upside for the Chargers is that they would assume no risk via construction costs, minimal debt and still realize significant revenue gains over what is available in San Diego.

“There is not a (financial) downside to L.A. (for the Chargers),” said a league source thoroughly versed in the financial structure of the revenue-sharing deal in Inglewood.


Multiple league sources have said something similar.

“The deal will be good-to-great for the Chargers – if and when they choose to relocate,” one league source said Thursday morning.

The Chargers declined comment on the status of negotiations.

The reason for the desired expediency is apparent in either market the Chargers choose to pursue their immediate options.


The Chargers, according to multiple sources, are cognizant of the time they are losing marketing and selling in Los Angeles. The Rams sold more than 45,000 season ticket deposits last week and already have a branding advantage in the market. The Chargers covet all the time they can get to sell not only tickets for the 2016 season but long-term inventory such personal seat licenses and partnership agreements.

If staying in San Diego, the team would need to launch campaigns for season-ticket sales and corporate partnership agreements, as well create a citizens initiative and work on an actual campaign with an eye toward a November election. People on all sides have said such an initiative would need to begin by the end of March to allow time for signature gathering and certification.

Should San Diego have a referendum on the ballot, the Chargers’ option in Los Angeles could be extended by a year to allow for the resolution of possible challenges to the result. The extension would also allow for another election should the November measure fail.

Some members of the Chargers staff have been splitting time planning for both possible announcements.


The team began exploring its course for a San Diego stadium initiative at least a couple months ago and is also preparing for the event it makes an announcement it is staying. There are also contingencies planned for an announcement in Los Angeles.