Rams, Chargers mum on details of talks after first meeting

ST. LOUIS -- On the day the Los Angeles Rams began taking deposits for season tickets for the 2016 NFL season, they engaged the San Diego Chargers in discussions about a potential partnership in their Inglewood stadium project.

The teams sent out a joint statement Monday night acknowledging they met but not offering many details.

"We have concluded our first meeting," the statement read. "We mutually have agreed not to publicly discuss details of this or any future meeting."

This first meeting was believed to be more of an exploratory discussion as the Chargers continue to weigh their options.

As part of the Rams' relocation agreement approved last week by NFL owners, the Chargers have until Jan. 15, 2017, to decide whether they want to join the Rams in Los Angeles and until March 23, 2016, to declare where they will play in 2016. If the Chargers decide to stay in San Diego, the Oakland Raiders will have the opportunity to move south and join the Rams.

The Chargers have plenty to consider before making a decision, as owner Dean Spanos said at last week's owners meetings.

"I'm going to look at all our options," Spanos said. "I'm going to take a little bit of time here. We do have some options. It's very difficult to say right now, 'I'm going to do this' or 'I'm going to do that.'"

The NFL agreed to give the Chargers $100 million toward the construction of a new stadium in San Diego if the team can come to an agreement with the city. According to Rams owner Stan Kroenke, the Chargers have two options for joining the Rams in Inglewood, but he did not offer specifics.

"We have offered either a partnership in the stadium as an owner, or we've offered the lease arrangement," Kroenke said at the owners meetings. "The teams will have their choice of those options."

From the Rams' perspective, getting an answer sooner rather than later would be beneficial. The relocation agreement stipulates that the Rams can't sell personal seat licenses, suites or other high-dollar areas for the Inglewood stadium until after the Chargers' 2017 deadline, unless a second team moves in before that date.

The Rams began accepting $100 deposits for 2016 season tickets to their games at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Monday morning.