>>New LA Stadium Could Realign NFL Divisions

Construction of an NFL stadium in the Los Angeles area could come with another change: a possible shift in division for the Oakland Raiders or the San Diego Chargers.

The teams have proposed a shared $1.78 billion stadium in the city of Carson - one of two stadium projects being considered by the NFL near Los Angeles that could bring professional football back to the region after a two-decade absence.

Carmen Policy, a former San Francisco 49ers executive who was hired to help oversee the Carson project, said Monday that the teams have agreed to shift divisions, if necessary, to make the project acceptable to the league.

The Chargers and Raiders are rivals in the AFC West, which could make game scheduling and other issues difficult in a shared stadium.

The teams have made clear to the league and NFL owners that "you send us to LA and you'll make the decision as to who plays in what conference or division," Policy told reporters after detailing stadium plans for business leaders and a sports group at an event in downtown Los Angeles.

Policy detailed the possible division shift on a day when the teams unveiled the latest design update for the 65,000-seat stadium, which would rise on the site of a former landfill about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

The renderings show an open-air stadium wrapped in steel bands, its seating shaded by canopies, with features that range from a nearby stage for live music performances to an authentic farmers' market. Outside, towering screens would carry game-day highlights that could be viewed from the parking lots.

>>Chargers QB Rivers Rewarded With Extension

Philip Rivers will be the San Diego Chargers' quarterback through 2019, he said Monday, "wherever we are."

Whether he ends his career with the Chargers still based in San Diego or uprooted and moved to the Los Angeles area, Rivers will be able to retire with lightning bolts on his helmet.

Not even Junior Seau, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, or LaDainian Tomlinson, who is expected to make it to Canton, were allowed to finish their careers as Chargers.

It helps that Rivers' deal includes a no-trade clause.

General manager Tom Telesco called it "a very important day in the history of the Chargers," and noted that Rivers - 33 and the starter since 2006 - will be able to finish his career as a Charger, just like Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

Rivers said the commitment by the Chargers in giving him the extension outweighs the uncertainty caused by the team's apparent desire to move to Los Angeles.

>>Arizona Cardinals Sign RB Chris Johnson

After a week of thinking it over, Chris Johnson decided he's ready to play for the Arizona Cardinals.

The team announced on Monday that Johnson has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. The move comes just five months after Johnson was wounded during a drive-by shooting in Orlando.

The Cardinals originally offered Johnson a contract on Aug. 11, but the 29-year-old running back didn't accept the deal until Monday.

The signing of Johnson isn't a complete surprise and that's mainly because Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has been less than thrilled with the health of his running backs through three weeks of camp.

Arians said last week "I am not pleased with the time (Andre Ellington) and David (Johnson) have lost, and I was not fired up about the running backs' performance [on Aug. 8]."