McMahon Agrees to Backup Role

Jim McMahon, whose first season as a Charger ended with him on the bench watching rookie quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver, is willing to return to the Chargers as a backup player, Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard said Tuesday.

Beathard said he has been told by McMahon’s agent, Steve Zucker, that McMahon would accept the reduced role as long as he is given a fair opportunity to compete for the starting job in training camp.

Beathard said he assured Zucker that McMahon would be given that chance.

“I have been told he absolutely will accept a backup role,” Beathard said. “That is not a problem for Jim McMahon as long as he is given an opportunity to win the starter’s job. (Coach) Dan (Henning) has assured him of that, and I have assured his agent of that.”

Zucker had said in a telephone interview from his suburban Chicago office Monday that McMahon enjoyed playing in San Diego and would like to return. He said it was too early to begin serious contract talks with the Chargers.

McMahon’s contract, which paid him $800,000, making him the highest paid Charger, expired Feb. 1. But because he was protected by the Chargers in the Plan B free-agent program, he is a conditional free agent. That means he is free to sign an offer sheet with any of the other 27 NFL teams by April 1, but the Chargers have the option to retain their rights by matching any offer. If they fail to match the offer, McMahon may change teams but the Chargers would receive two first-round draft choices as compensation.

McMahon was acquired from the Chicago Bears before the second preseason game for a conditional draft choice that turned out to be a second-round pick.

He completed 176 of 318 passes for 2,132 yards and 10 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. But he was replaced by Tolliver as the starter in the final four games.

Charger Notes

A meeting planned for Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., with holdout running back Gary Anderson and his agent, Peter Johnson, has been postponed until later this month, Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard said. Beathard said the postponement was made at his request so that he could spend the next two weeks preparing for the NFL draft. Anderson missed last season because of a contract dispute with the Chargers. . . . Beathard said the Chargers are interested in Rams kicker Mike Lansford, who was left unprotected in the Plan B free-agent program. Beathard said he met with Lansford Monday and plans to speak with his agent, Leigh Steinberg. But said he doubted Lansford would change teams.