Chargers Given 2-Day Extension To Mull Over Moving To Los Angeles Or Staying In San Diego: Reports

LOS ANGELES, CA — The San Diego Charges on Wednesday were given a two-day extension by the NFL to decide whether to remain in San Diego or move to the Los Angeles area, the league announced.

The extension came as NFL owners met Wednesday in New York to discuss the stadium situations in San Diego and Oakland.

"The deadline for the San Diego Chargers to exercise the option to relocate to Los Angeles is January 15," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. "Given the 15th falls on a Sunday of a playoff weekend and Monday is the federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., we are extending the deadline on exercising the option until Tuesday, January 17."

The outcome of the stadium and finance committee meetings could affect the directions taken by the Chargers and the Oakland Raiders, who have been exploring a potential move to Las Vegas.

When the Rams relocated to Los Angeles, the Chargers were given a one-year option to join them. The Rams and the Chargers would share a stadium being built for the Rams in Inglewood.

If the Chargers declined to exercise the option, then the Raiders would be given an opportunity to return to Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Numerous news reports over the past year or so have indicated that some NFL team owners are reluctant to abandon the San Diego market.

The movement in the Chargers' long-running search for a new playing facility came to a near dead stop after San Diego voters in November rejected a measure to raise hotel room taxes to pay for the public portion of the cost of a new stadium.

ESPN reporter Jim Trotter said on his Twitter account Tuesday that a "Hail Mary is developing to keep the Chargers in SD at least two more years" and that the San Diego situation is believed to be "salvageable" by the league while Oakland's is not.

Spanos has reportedly spoken with some members of the committees but was not scheduled to attend their meetings.

— City News Service contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of the San Diego Chargers.