Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti seems to think that his city will see a return to football within the next year. Speaking to KNX radio station in L.A, Garcetti had this to say about the potential that we will see a NFL team in Los Angeles for the first time since 1994 (via ESPN.com).
Mayor Eric Garcetti says an NFL team is “highly likely” to come to the city in the next year.
He indicated that while the city doesn’t want to subsidize a new stadium, the NFL is “finally interested” in returning to Los Angeles.
This comes on the heels of another report last week that claimed the NFL is 12-to-24 months away from a return to Los Angeles (via Pro Football Talk).
The three teams most likely to relocate to Los Angeles all have a history of calling the city home. The San Diego Chargers played in Los Angeles in 1960, while both the St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders moved from Southern California following the 1994 season.
All three teams can hypothetically get up and move from their current locations following the 2014 season. Oakland’s lease with the Coliseum runs out after this year, while the Rams are on a year-to-year lease with the Edward Jones Dome. As it relates to the Chargers, they would have to pay a minimal relocation fee if they were to move north.