Spanos Says He’s Waiting for Fouts to Tell Him He’ll Play for $750,000
Charger owner Alex Spanos said Friday that all quarterback Dan Fouts has to do is tell him that he’s willing to play under his current contract, and the controversy will be over.
On Thursday, Fouts told reporters he wants to play for the Chargers for $750,000 this season--as stipulated in his contract--and that he is not trying to renegotiate it.
“It surprises me,” Spanos said Friday from his office in Stockton. “I’d be very happy to have Dan tell me he’s willing to play for his contract. He hasn’t told me, Steve (Ortmayer, director of football operations) or any of us. I’d love to hear it.”
Spanos, who will attend tonight’s exhibition opener between the Chargers and Dallas Cowboys in San Diego, doesn’t have a meeting planned with Fouts. When asked about meeting with Spanos, Fouts told a Channel 8 reporter: “Well, I don’t know if that would be better or not. I’d be willing to try.”
Because he has a strained back, Fouts will not be in uniform, and it is not mandatory that he show up at tonight’s game. He could not be reached for further comment.
In a statement released Wednesday by the Chargers, Spanos said the quarterback and his representative, Howard Slusher, indicated that Fouts would need additional compensation if he were to continue playing for the Chargers, and that Fouts turned down a $1-million offer for this season. Spanos said in the statement that “since the offer was not satisfactory to Dan, I feel our only alternative was to seek a possible trade for Dan to a team that will satisfy his demands.”
Despite Fouts’ comments to reporters Thursday, Spanos maintained his stand Friday. “We’re initiating a move to try to trade him,” he said. “We don’t know if we can or will.”
The confusion continues.
When Spanos was asked if the Chargers initiated contact with Fouts about his future, as Fouts indicated, or if Fouts and his representative initiated the talks, the owner said he “didn’t want to go into that. I don’t want to go into the details about everything.”
Spanos did say that the Chargers’ $1-million offer to Fouts was rejected. And now that $1-million offer has been withdrawn, Spanos said.
“Mr. Slusher turned it down,” Spanos said. “It was Slusher that Steve (Ortmayer) spoke with. We’ve been trying to reach him for weeks, and he hasn’t returned the calls.”
Spanos said the Chargers’ offer to Fouts involved this year only and was not tied to any agreement providing for Fouts’ retirement after this season. Fouts has two years remaining on his six-year guaranteed contract, including this season. He will earn $750,000 each season.