Leaf

The grievance filed late Thursday was in reaction to Leaf's off-field problems, but it doesn't mean the team has given up on the second-year pro, club president Dean Spanos said Friday.

He said the grievance was filed to protect the Chargers best interests, but he expected the differences between the club and Leaf to be settled within a few days.

"The intent of the resolution is to make sure that Ryan has long-term stability here," Spanos said.

The Chargers had until mid-December to file a grievance against Leaf, who returned to practice Monday after a four-week suspension without pay and fined a week's salary for insubordination.

Leaf filed a grievance against the team, contending the penalty and fine, totaling $73,530, were too severe.

Leaf refused to do a weight-training exercise and cursed general manager Bobby Beathard and strength and conditioning coach John Hastings when they tried to get him to finish the workout.

During Leaf's suspension, he played a game of touch football with friends at a local park, a violation of his NFL contract and leverage for the team to withhold paying the last installment of the signing bonus, due in March.

Spanos said he doesn't expect the grievances will need arbitration by the NFL Management Council.

"I'm not going to discuss the terms of the resolution, but we expect it to happen in a short amount of time," Spanos said. "If and when it happens, all the grievances will be dropped."

Leaf's agent, Leigh Steinberg, has not returned calls to reporters since the quarterback was suspended Nov. 2.

Leaf took the grievance in stride. "Hypothetically, it would seem like it would be upsetting," he told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

He added that the resolution might involve a contract extension that "would end all the talk about me wanting to leave."

Leaf has openly talked about wanting to leave San Diego when his contract expires after the 2000 season and told coach Mike Riley he would request a trade if the club put him on injured reserve while he rehabilitated his right shoulder after preseason surgery.