Beathard Considering Retiring as Charger GM

General Manager Bobby Beathard of the San Diego Chargers, his patience taxed by troubled quarterback Ryan Leaf, is seriously considering retiring after next month’s NFL draft.

Beathard, a no-show at the NFL owners’ and club officials’ annual meetings here this week, has thought of retiring for the last few years.

The hiring of Coach Mike Riley and the team’s improvement last year persuaded Beathard to remain on the job, but he has become increasingly interested in spending more time with his grandchildren, noting to friends that the football job is no longer much fun.

Leaf’s problems have taken their toll on Beathard, who made a controversial trade with Arizona so he could select Leaf second in the 1998 draft. Leaf might have pushed Beathard over the edge last week when the quarterback failed to show for the team’s first voluntary workouts.

Beathard declined to discuss Leaf’s role in his decision-making, but said from his office in San Diego, “I haven’t made the decision to retire yet, but I’ve been thinking about it.

“I’ve always talked about it and it’s something I’ve considered for years, but I would never do anything before the draft. We’ll just have to see after the draft.”