Lachey, Chargers Agree to Contract

When it was over Sunday and Jim Lachey had signed a Charger contract that will earn him about $2 million over the next five seasons, his agent revealed the secret catalyst in the negotiations.

“Caffeine,” said attorney Leigh Steinberg. “These were caffeine-assisted negotiations.”

Steinberg consumed large amounts of diet soda while driving back to Los Angeles on Saturday night after three hours of talks with General Manager Johnny Sanders in which a contractual breakthrough took place.

“Must have hit every exit on 405,” said the agent. At each stop he placed a call to the apartment of ex-USC linebacker Duane Bickett, a Steinberg client who had been boarding Lachey for the last few days.

“We did a lot of refining Saturday night, then concluded the deal Sunday afternoon,” Steinberg said.

Lachey (6-feet 6-inches, 290 pounds) wanted to sleep on it before saying yes to any terms Saturday night, but he was in something of a hurry to get the deal worked out.

For one thing, Coach Don Coryell wanted him in training camp so Lachey could begin learning the fine art of keeping Dan Fouts on his feet. Lachey is projected as a starter at left tackle, but may also be used some at guard, his college position.

Lachey had another reason to want the contract signed. He had been taking a lot of kidding from Bickett and another ex-USC star, Ken Ruettgers. USC defeated Ohio State, Lachey’s alma mater, in the 1985 Rose Bowl.

“I could have held out longer if I had to, but I thought it was time to report,” said Lachey, who doesn’t view the one missed week of training camp as overly significant in the context of a 10- or 15-year career.

Since the day he was drafted, both the player and his counsel have stressed how badly Lachey wanted to play in San Diego. It may have been that they compromised slightly on dollars to ensure that he played here.

Earlier in the week, Steinberg had said he was getting closer to asking Sanders to trade Lachey if the Chargers were not going to pay fair market value. It was hard to tell Sunday if that little ploy had much effect on the outcome of the negotiations.

Steinberg had repeatedly stressed that he would not accept less than Buffalo awarded Derrick Burroughs, who was drafted 14th, two picks after Lachey. Burroughs got a four-year contract worth $1.7 million.

Lachey wound up agreeing to a five-year deal, and Steinberg said $2 million “would not be a ridiculous postulation.”

The agent said he was concerned about damage to Lachey’s career if a prolonged holdout had been necessary.

“On the great continuum of negotiations, this was courteous and calm,” Steinberg said. “It would be like comparing California politics to Chicago politics.”

In keeping with the precedent of other Steinberg clients who have made charitable donations, Lachey said he would fund a scholarship at his old high school in St. Henry, Ohio, contribute to the Ohio State weight room and give $250 for each Charger win to multiple sclerosis victims in San Diego.

With that announcement, Lachey said he was ready to go to work Monday morning.

“I’ve got some missed repetitions to make up,” he said.

He also has some running to do. Lachey will be the last player to submit to physical testing, including a set of 10 40-yard sprints at 30-second intervals.

Coryell was ecstatic with the results when a large group of veterans was tested Saturday. The offensive linemen scored highest of any group, which served as a nice omen for the signing of Lachey.