NFL to LA: Chargers, Rams Continue Talks Regarding Potential LA Partnership
By Keith Rivas
The NFL to LA dream for the now-San Diego Chargers isn’t dead just yet, per ESPN.
With the now-Los Angeles Rams really paving the way, the San Diego Chargers are actually also winning as a result of the league’s decision to return to LA.
As part of the final decision, the Chargers have a full year from now to decide on whether or not they want to join the Rams.
There’s a couple major reasons that this largely benefits the Chargers.
First, you have to think of it from the perspective that they won’t have to invest in a trip to LA blindly.
The Rams are betting on themselves and thus far have done a good job garnering attention towards the team’s relocation efforts — but an LA team still hasn’t been seen or in action for just over two decades.
It’s not necessarily bad for the Rams, though, it just goes to show the confidence their front office, particularly Stan Kroenke, had in their investment.
It was to the point, even, where Kroenke was going to go ahead and build a stadium in Southern California with or without league approval to do so for a football team.
What hasn’t told the whole story, yet, though, is how the team will fare when they play a game that matters with Los Angeles at the forefront.
While the Chargers can stay comfortable in San Diego heading into next season, they’ll have a whole regular season (maybe even post-season) to see how good the Rams fit in.
After that, they can make a better-informed decision in regards to if the move would actually help the team or not.
The team has made it clear that the main concerns when it came to whether or not to relocate included being able to thrive in their own market.
Stan Kroenke has been open about the idea of the Chargers joining his Rams, and that means it’s one foot in the door for Spanos & Co. from the business side.
If Kroenke had been less inviting or more hostile to any degree, it would’ve probably turned the Chargers away, and for good reason.
Why move to Los Angeles and share a stadium with a team that the owners can’t get along with, even on the little things?
Thankfully, a potential Chargers-Rams partnership wouldn’t have those kinds of problems come up.
Mainly, though, the major roadblock for the Chargers is going to be when they weigh how many fans they might lose from leaving San Diego.
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
If the Raiders left Oakland, it’d get ugly, and we’ve already seen how quickly bitter the St. Louis faithful have become, so why risk that same fallout from San Diego?
Well, the answer’s easier than you might think — this has to be viewed as strictly business.
When personal feelings begin to take precedent from the owner and front office perspectives, it can cloud the judgement call and end up costing everyone involved dearly.
Lastly, the Chargers also have had to consider whether or not Philip Rivers would want to be part of a Los Angeles franchise.
Before last season began, Rivers was hesitant, to say the least, when it came to putting pen to the paper and inking himself to the team long term.
But as he clarified in an article published by NBC, Rivers will be here whether or not the team decided to stay in San Diego.
Next: Should The Rams Pick Up RG III?
There’s two big reasons right off the bat for the Chargers to stay optimistic, as they wait and weigh the decision to bring their team to Los Angeles as well.