Chargers' Eric Weddle skips OTAs, but team 'not waiting for anybody'
SAN DIEGO -- Chargers safety Eric Weddle skipped the beginning of organized team activities on Tuesday as he remains unhappy with his contract status.
Weddle, the team's defensive captain, is in the final year of a deal that's scheduled to pay him $7.5 million in 2015 and would like San Diego to enter into negotiations on a contract extension.
While Chargers coach Mike McCoy maintains that player attendance at offseason workouts is crucial to building trust and chemistry, he understands OTAs are voluntary.
"We're not waiting for anybody," McCoy said. "[Defensive coordinator] John Pagano and his staff put the install in a long time ago on what we're going to do, and how we're going to install things through the offseason program.
"So we're staying on pace there. We're not changing for who's here, and who's not here."
Weddle, 30, led the Chargers with 114 combined tackles in 2014, the third time in his eight-year career that he finished with at least 100 tackles in a season. Weddle also forced two fumbles, corralled an interception and finished with eight pass breakups.
Weddle is the only safety in the NFL named first or second-team All-Pro for five straight seasons.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said it's weird not seeing Weddle on the other side of the ball during team drills.
"I miss the back and forth out there today, that's for sure," Rivers said. "Just a little bit of the banter, and the competition that he and I had. I miss that for sure.
"In an ideal world, you would love for everybody to be here. But at the same time, it's one thing where it's a game that we've always played, that also has a business element to it. I know for me, even with close buddies like Eric, or guys that you're not as close with, I've always tried to stay out of that side of it. And respect anyone's choices and decisions that they make along those lines."
Rivers went on to say that he knows Weddle is working out and will be in shape when he inevitably reports to Chargers Park.
Pagano said with Weddle not in attendance, other players will get more reps at safety. Free agent addition Jimmy Wilson and Jahleel Addae took snaps at the safety spots with the starters Tuesday.
"I look at as hopefully he'll be here sometime soon," Pagano said. "But from a standpoint of being able to get players reps and being able to develop guys that can make different calls, those are positive things I take away from it.
"We have the opportunity to get guys ready, just in case of a situation like that if he was not here. From my standpoint, I look at it as hopefully he'll be here sooner rather than later. But we're getting guys prepared behind him, ready to go."
