NEWSLETTER
The San Diego Chargers had an original deadline of Sunday to let it be known whether or not they were staying in San Diego or traveling up the interstate to Los Angeles.
But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a decision has been made.
A stunner: Chargers plan to announce as early as Thursday they are moving to LA, ending 55-year stint with SD, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2017
On Tuesday, Pro Football Weekly reported a move to Los Angeles didn’t seem like a certainty because (among other reasons) there seemed to be more short-term financial incentive than long-term potential. One day later, the Chargers were granted an extension to Tuesday to allow them to figure out what they wanted to do moving forward.
It would be a stunning announcement indeed, especially considering the history the Chargers had in San Diego. While the team had fallen on hard times in recent years with one playoff appearance since the start of the 2010 season, they had a run of success that featured five postseason berths in a six-year span from 2004 to 2009.
Further, the franchise has been littered with Hall of Famers (Junior Seau, Fred Dean, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joyner, Dan Fouts, Sid Gillman, Ron Mix and Lance Allworth), star players (LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and a slew of other All-Pro and Pro Bowl players) and innovative coaches (Marty Schottenheimer, Don Coryell).
A move would mean Los Angeles now has two NFL teams after not having one after the 1995 season when both the Raiders and Rams left for Oakland and St. Louis, respectively.
