The Chargers thought they had solved their short-term QB problem when they signed Kyle Boller to a one-year contract Friday. Boller practiced Friday evening, but was noticeably absent from the first full practice in pads Saturday night.
“I met with (Boller) this morning,” coach Norv Turner said after practice. “He does not want to continue to play football.”
Boller joined the team after second-string QB Charlie Whitehurst exited Thursday evening's practice with a sore left knee (MCL) and is expected to be out two to three weeks.
With the departure of Boller, QB Jarrett Lee (undrafted, LSU) once again saw his workload increase. Lee had his best practice with several completions under pressure.
But Turner fell far short of giving Lee a vote of confidence Friday. “He just needs to learn how to play the position,” Turner said. “It is a totally different situation than where he was in college. It’s a whole different system. It is a different level of competition. It’s a different style of offense. I like him a lot, but he has a lot of work to do.”
The Chargers need to have at least one backup QB who can confidently run the offense during the first two preseason games. This will allow other offensive players an opportunity to perform well and be fairly evaluated.
“We can evaluate all of our players,” Turner said. “Obviously, we are not going to continue with two quarterbacks who can play. So we are in process of getting someone in here right now.”
Follow Chargers reporter Dan McLellan on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLSD and @SanDiegoSports
