The San Diego Chargers have four restricted free agents who were tendered at the highest level and who still have not signed their tender. And the team has no clue when -- or even if -- those players will sign on the dotted line.
Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith says he’s not spending a whole lot of time thinking about the four restricted free agents, wide receivers Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson, left tackle Marcus McNeill and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman.
“I don’t know what they are thinking, and I have no idea when we’ll see them again or if we will ever see them again,” Smith said, per the San Diego Union Tribune. “This I do know: the upcoming season will be on us very soon. Whoever we have as Chargers, we go with. I don’t spend much time speculating on who will be here or when they will be here.”
On June 15, an RFA tender can be reduced to 110 percent of the player’s salary from the prior season. That means there’s a good chance of Floyd, Jackson and McNeill signing by then -- for all three, 110 percent of last year’s salary is significantly less than the high restricted free agent tender.
And Smith sat down with Merriman’s new agent, David Dunn, for two hours on Thursday. So while Smith says he has “no idea,” he actually probably has a pretty good idea what the situation is with all four of his restricted free agents. And he says he understands why, for now, they’re unsigned and staying away from the team.
“I wish all of our players were here every day,” Smith said. “But that’s not the real NFL world we live in. Business decisions are being made by all parties. The players and their agents, I’m sure, are discussing what’s best for them. It’s their absolute right to do so, and I fully understand.”