Raiders, Chargers to get NFL support for new venues

SAN FRANCISCO – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pledged Friday “to do everything possible” to help teams in Oakland and San Diego work to get new stadiums in their current markets.

“The league supports both of these teams, but we are working very hard with not only the teams but the communities to try to find a solution that works for everybody,” Goodell said at his annual Super Bowl week news conference. “This has to work for the communities, and it has to work for the teams long-term.”

The Rams have moved to Los Angeles from St. Louis starting in the 2016 season. The Chargers will play in San Diego in 2016, but chairman Dean Spanos has an option to join the Rams at a new stadium being built in Inglewood if the city and team can’t work out a deal.

The Raiders also wanted to move to Los Angeles, but owner Mark Davis may look at other cities if the franchise can’t work out a stadium deal with Oakland.

“I think it’s great that Dean Spanos and his family said, ‘We want to make this work in San Diego,’ ” Goodell said. “They have an incredibly attractive option in Los Angeles but they decided, ‘We’re going to go and try to make this work in San Diego,’ and we will do everything we can to support that. The same’s true for Mark Davis. Mark Davis has a lot of options. The league supports both of these teams, but we are working very hard with not only the teams but the communities to try to find a solution that works for everybody. This has to work for the communities and this has to work for the teams long term.”