Charger Notebook : Winslow’s Troubles With Club Are Nearly Over : All-Pro Tight End Says He Believes His Association With the Team Has Ended
Kellen Winslow and the Chargers are close to resolving the hassle over the final year of his contract.
When the former all-pro tight end was suspended by the Chargers Aug. 29 after he said he could no longer play, he insisted they owed him his full salary of $795,000 for 1988. Wednesday, Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations, reported that a settlement was imminent.
“I think something can be done in the next day or so,” Ortmayer said. “We’re working on compromises on a lot of different things, financial and nonfinancial.”
Winslow, 30, passed the Chargers’ physical in training camp but said his knee problems had reached the point where he had to retire. He had come back from a severe knee injury suffered in 1984, but said the pain had grown progressively worse.
“My agent (Jim Steiner of St. Louis) has been working on the details with Ortmayer,” Winslow said. “I’m just trying to give the local people a chance to iron it out. Why, I don’t know.
“I had mentioned the possibility of fulfilling my contract in some other way, and they were less than lukewarm to that. I truly believe now that my association with the Chargers is over. I just think they want to wash their hands of me.”
Winslow’s proposal to join Charger management involved what he called badly needed community service work.
“I think we could really do some things to endear the community to this young team,” he said. “I think in the last three years or so, the community has grown away from us.
“I see community involvement from the players, but I don’t see it from the front office.”
Winslow said he preferred a quick settlement to a long court battle.
“We could get into the issue of whether I’m healthy enough to play football,” he said. “That could go three or four years in the courts, and I want to get on with my life.
“I’m sure a court case would open a can of worms that would involve the legalities of the Chargers’ medical practices. Like what is a physical, and who decides who’s healthy and who isn’t.
“The thing that bothers me most in all this is that I’ve been made out to be a malingerer. I just don’t feel physically capable of playing football anymore.”
Winslow said he was mulling several possible courses for his immediate future: going to law school at Yale, pursuing a master’s degree in business, joining a brokerage firm or accepting the vice presidency of a nutrition firm of which he is now a board member.
“I want to settle this thing,” he said. “If I’m not wanted here, I want to take my talents elsewhere.”
In spite of what obviously has been a serious disagreement, Ortmayer described the Chargers’ relationship with Winslow as “totally friendly.”
Ortmayer added, however, “My opinion is that this is something that never needed to occur. We counted on Kellen. We felt that we were strong at that position (tight end), because we had a fellow coming off an all-pro season.
“I think it was a surprise to all of us when he said he felt his career was at an end. Perhaps it was a surprise even to him.”
Coach Chuck Knox of the Seattle Seahawks made it obvious Wednesday that he was trying to guard against overconfidence on his 2-0 team for Sunday’s game against the 0-2 Chargers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
“We’ve got a lot of injuries,” Knox said. “We’re a beat-up football team right now. And when I look at the Chargers, I see a team with a lot of talent. That’s a big concern of mine.”
Told of Knox’s remarks, Charger Coach Al Saunders said, “All I know is that the Seahawks are picked by many as the team to beat in our division (the AFC West). They have a great football team.”
Charger Notes
Sam Seale, the former Raider who was signed by the Chargers Tuesday, was installed as a backup cornerback. Leonard Coleman, who had been one of two backup cornerbacks, was moved to safety to fill in for Pat Miller, who is out with a knee injury. . . . John Clay was at left tackle on the first string in Wednesday’s workout, but only because regulars Gary Kowalski and Broderick Thompson were out with minor neck injuries. Clay, acquired from the Raiders in the Jim Lachey deal, is the backup at both offensive tackles. Jerry Wampfler, offensive line coach, said of Clay: “He weighs around 306, and we want him at 295. He’s improving, but the fact that he’s still behind the other guys is self-explanatory.”