Beathard Chastises Chargers’ Problem Child Leaf San Diego’S Gm Says Rookie Quarterback Is Hurting His Team With Off-Field Foibles

San Diego Chargers general manager Bobby Beathard is convinced there is a correlation between rookie quarterback Ryan Leaf’s off-field problems and on-field struggles.

“His performance on the field certainly has something to do with it, but when you take into consideration what he allegedly has done off the field, it really, really bothers me,” Beathard told the San Diego Union-Tribune this week, after is was announced that Craig Whelihan will replace Leaf as the Chargers’ starter.

“Right now, he’s done some damage to himself as far as losing some of his teammates.

“And until he decides whether or not he wants to be an NFL quarterback, this will give him some time to think about it, because this is really disturbing.”

Leaf’s demotion was not unexpected, considering he had again embarrassed the club by making headlines a week earlier in Pullman, where he was allegedly tossed out of two bars and banned from a convenience store.

Earlier in the year, the Chargers went easy on their top draft pick after he shouted obscenities at a reporter and made the highlight reels of nearly every national sportscast. But when he turned in a 4-for-15, 26-yard passing effort in last Sunday’s 27-10 loss to Denver, the club decided to get tough.

The decision to bench Leaf belonged to interim coach June Jones, but Beathard said he would have backed it even if the Chargers had been 6-3 instead of 3-6.

“I’m not saying everything is true, but I don’t think you can excuse it,” he said of Leaf’s behavior. “He’s old enough to have common sense. He’s got to be responsible for his actions.

“And if, in fact, he’s done these things, he’s got to be a man and own up to them.”

Leaf said he has no regrets about anything that has happened since the Chargers signed him to a $31.25 million deal.

“You can’t straighten things out until you admit to yourself that you’re doing some things the wrong way,” Beathard added. “I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s mind that the off-field distractions affect his play.

“Now, Ryan had told us it doesn’t affect him, but nobody buys that.”