Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers aren't waiting for safety Eric Weddle to return

Published May. 26, 2015 11:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

Mike McCoy enters his third season without his defensive captain at safety.

That's fine by him. The Chargers' head coach says his team can't afford to wait around for Eric Weddle's contract situation to sort itself out.

"We're not waiting for anybody," McCoy told ESPN. "(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."

Weddle or not, they're sticking to that script. Free agent pick-up Jimmy Wilson and Jahleel Addae took snaps as the team's starting safeties on Tuesday.

That's not to say Weddle won't have a spot open for him when he returns. The Bolts' DB is the only safety in the NFL named first or second-team All-Pro for five straight seasons.

Philip Rivers admitted he "missed the banter" with a fellow star, but the game is still a business. No one knows that better than Rivers, who will be up for a new contract of his own soon after an offseason of trade rumors.

"In an ideal world, you would love for everybody to be here," Rivers said. "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."

For now, Rivers' teammate is choosing to stay away from Chargers Park. Pagano said he'll use the time wisely until his star pupil comes back.

"From my standpoint, I look at it as hopefully he'll be here sooner rather than later," Pagano said. "But we're getting guys prepared behind him, ready to go."

(h/t ESPN)