While the league makes plans toward a January vote by owners on which team(s) will get to move to L.A., there is a nascent movement to make sure such a vote isnt necessary.
There is concern that the relocation decision actually coming to a vote would be bad for the NFL, as owners are pitted against owners, and that it would be especially detrimental for the team(s) that lost a vote and had to return to their home markets.
It has become a talking point among some owners that perhaps a deal can be brokered between Chargers chairman Dean Spanos and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke.
If we have to end up sorting it out and voting
that may be how it gets resolved, said Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. But hopefully there will be a lot of discussion behind the scenes where it works out that all parties are happy.
Ultimately, thats probably how this is going to get done
We do want to try to have a fairness and deals go through that make sense and have people compromise and have it be a workable situation. I think well find a solution and move forward.
There is no consensus on what that will mean, as both Spanos and Kroenke continue to pour time and money into their L.A. projects.
Both Spanos and Kroenke are pushing for a resolution by January, according to sources familiar with their thinking.
It appears they will at least get that wish granted.
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, a member of the Committee on L.A. Opportunities, pointed to the fact there has been a lot of activity as an indication a move will be made sooner than later.
Said Steelers president Art Rooney II, also on the L.A. committee: I think we have a chance of getting something voted on by January.
It is the L.A. Committee that is heading the move toward the L.A. market as well as assessing the situation in the home markets. The group is expected to make a recommendation to the entire membership by January.
Irsay, not on the L.A. committee but highly involved in league machinations, was almost as gung-ho as Jones.
There is a high likelihood, Irsay said when asked whether there would be at least one team in Los Angeles in 2016. There is a greater percentage chance that there will be NFL in L.A. next year.
Those statements are more certain than any made by the people at the center of the L.A. decision.
There has been some thought that the NFL will put off relocation as it assesses the stadium possibilities in St. Louis and San Diego and also does all it can to ensure it puts whichever team(s) move in the best position to succeed in a market it vacated 20 years ago.
The possibility of a delay remains.
Its not a guarantee, Irsay said of relocation in 2016. (Postponing a decision by a year) is possible. But in the end you have to come to sometimes difficult decisions
Were excited about the possibility of this going forward soon.
There remain multiple possibilities that could arise from negotiations yet to come, including ones that involve the Chargers getting additional help from the league to build a stadium in San Diego.
The Raiders are essentially a tag-along. Many in the league are of the opinion there will never be a viable stadium solution in Oakland. On Tuesday, Raiders owner Mark Davis said, Im a happy camper
Everything is going to work out.
How it all does work out in a way that makes everyone happy is consuming much of the NFLs time.