The San Diego Chargers appear headed to Los Angeles to join the Rams in Inglewood. This eventuality took hold after the city of San Diego failed to pass a ballot measure that would have provided the Chargers will public financing for a new venue.
As of right now, the Chargers are reportedly in negotiations with the Rams to discus a potential share of the soon-to-be erected Inglewood venue.
It’s in this that Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff doesn’t think there will be any issues related to the Chargers joining his team in Los Angeles.
“There are no hurdles to any deal,” Demoff said, via NFL.com. “The relationship between the two owners is in a good place and, I believe the Chargers feel welcomed. Nothing stands in their way of moving if that is what they want to do. I would also say we have no insight on what their decision will be. It’s only that we have worked hard to make sure their L.A. option is a good one.”
The Chargers have until January 15 to exercise an opt-in clause to join the Rams in Inglewood. This is an agreement the two sides came to when the NFL voted to support the Rams’ relocation from St. Louis this past January. Should the Chargers decide against moving, that would then enable the Oakland Raiders, who are currently looking at Las Vegas, to join the Rams in Inglewood.
In reality, there’s nothing here to suggest that the Chargers will decide to remain in San Diego. They’ve done everything possible to work with the city, and nothing has come out of it.
None of this is really that big of a surprise. The ballot initiative, which failed miserably on election day, was never seen as a winning proposition. And with few options left to them in San Diego, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see the Chargers announce a move to Los Angeles shortly after their season comes to an end.
Now that we know the Rams are receptive to this idea and there doesn’t appear to be any hurdles, the process itself should go rather smoothly.