Via Pro Football Talk, Roger Goodell sent a memo to the 32 teams, which the LA Times somehow got a hold of:
"Although substantial uncertainties remain," Goodell wrote in the two-page memo, "stadium development in Los Angeles has advanced to the point where the prospects for a new facility are better than they have been in many years."
The memo serves as a set of ground rules for teams considering such a move (and the plugged-in Farmer mentioned the Chargers, Raiders and Rams specifically), with the league pointing out that it controlled the process, not individual teams.
The memo also mentions the 2013 season, a clear indication that they're thinking sooner rather than later. If a team wanted to apply to relocate, they'd have to file paperwork between Jan. 1, 2013 and Feb. 15, 2013, although the memo said no vote was likely to be taken before March 2013.
Further investigation highlights that due to the teams' current situations, only the Chargers fit that 2013 time frame...and politicians in San Diego are publicly against using tax money to build a new stadium:
The Rams can't leave St. Louis at the earliest until after the 2014 season. The Jaguars must demonstrate three straight years of losses before being able to exit Jacksonville. The Raiders' lease situation is irrelevant, because (as we've previously reported) the league won't allow them to move to L.A. unless Mark Davis sells controlling interest in the team.
So that leaves the Chargers, who have an annual window to cancel their Qualcomm Stadium lease, from February 1 through April 30, with a buyout that decreases each year.
I blame Norv Turner.