A lease agreement between the San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams was approved Wednesday by NFL owners, a necessary step if the team eventually decides to move back to LA.
The terms of the agreement had been in place for months. Before moving back to LA earlier this year after two decades in St. Louis, the Rams signed an agreement with the NFL agreeing to lease the yet-to-be-built Inglewood stadium, set to open in 2019.
The lease agreement and a plan to finance the relocation fee were unanimously approved Wednesday by NFL owners, NBC4's Fred Roggin reported.
The Chargers, who have played in San Diego since 1961, were given the option of joining the Rams in the Inglewood stadium that will be surrounded by mixed-use development. They have until Jan. 15 to make a decision.
NFL team relocations require three-fourths approval of the member teams, and Wednesday's approval does not commit the Chargers to a move.
#Chargers lease agreement with #Rams approved today by owners. Also approved #Chargers using debt waiver to finance part of relo fee.
— Fred Roggin (@FredNBCLA) December 14, 2016
The Chargers walked away from talks with the city and county in June 2015 and focused on a plan to build a stadium in a Los Angeles suburb with the rival Oakland Raiders. That plan was defeated by NFL owners in January in favor of the Rams' Inglewood plan, but the Chargers were given the option of moving to L.A.
If they decide to move, they'll have to make a deal with either the Coliseum or the 27,000-seat StubHub! Center as a temporary home.
In San Diego, negotiations continued after a stadium ballot measure failed in the November election.
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This week, four San Diego council members offered the Chargers' owner a lease of $1 per year for 99 years for the site of the team's current home, aging Qualcomm Stadium. Councilman Scott Sherman, whose district includes Qualcomm Stadium, shared a copy of the offer letter, which will be sent to the Charges' owner and NFL, with The Associated Press on Monday evening.
"The hour is late, and the time to find a stadium solution is getting dangerously short," the letter started. "Before leaving 60 years of tradition and loyal fans, let's give one last concerted effort to come to the table and hammer this out face to face, working together toward a common goal of keeping the NFL in America's Finest City. If we fail to come to an agreement, at least we will know that nothing was left untested and we can part ways knowing that we gave it our all.
"We ask that the Chargers give San Diego fans another chance."
The Chargers rejected a city-county plan for a new stadium at the Qualcomm site in 2015, and then voters rejected Measure C in November.
