Chargers, Benson Will Meet Today on Contract

The Chargers will meet with starting linebacker Thomas Benson today in what appears to be a final attempt to sign him to a contract.

Steve Ortmayer, director of football operations, spoke with Benson’s agent, Steve Feldman, on Thursday and requested a meeting for today. Ortmayer had threatened in a letter to Feldman to decrease the team’s “take-it-or-leave it” offer if an agreement was not reached by today. So Feldman agreed to the meeting and told Benson to fly to San Diego from his home in Ardmore, Okla.

“(Benson) and I will see Mr. Ortmayer and see if we can stop these games,” Feldman said Thursday. “I would have hoped that the negotiations would have proceeded in a different manner. The season is getting close, and if they want to talk, we’ll talk.”

Ortmayer, who was unavailable for comment Thursday, has said it will be difficult to count on Benson this season if he’s not signed by today.

Feldman said that he and Ortmayer continued negotiations Thursday morning and that Ortmayer offered some new incentive plans.

Feldman refused to comment on the incentives, but he did say he felt no progress was made Thursday.

Benson wants a contract estimated in the $300,000-a-year range, which is much less than what, according to a source, left outside linebacker Billy Ray Smith signed for this week.

According to a source with the NFL Players Assn., Smith has signed a contract worth $4.5 million. He will make just under $600,000 a year for five years and also will receive the following deferred payments: $100,000 a year from 1995 to 2004; $150,000 a year from 2005 to 2014, and $200,000 a year from 2015 to 2024.