Vincent Jackson is expected to report to Chargers Park today, though he is not expected to speak publicly. He can practice with the team while he serves his time on the Roster Exempt List but will not be eligible to play until Nov. 28 at Indianapolis. Said Turner: “I’m anxious to see Vincent … But myself and everyone who is going to play Sunday are zeroed in on this football game, and we will deal with … how we plan on getting Vincent ready starting on Monday.” — San Diego Union-Tribune

Chargers RB Darren Sproles, who is making $7.2 million this season, would like the ball more. He is on pace for just 90 touches, 48 fewer than last season. But he is also working on accepting his role and taking his touches as they come. “I was trying to do too much,” Sproles said. “I’ve learned just now to relax.” — San Diego Union-Tribune

Vincent Jackson is coming back. The receiver will sign his free agent tender and report to the Chargers in the week leading up to the Oct. 31 game against Tennessee, according to a source who spoke on the condition on anonymity. His agent, Neil Schwartz, declined to comment Thursday. Jackson will report to ensure he serves a three-game roster-exempt suspension, earns an accrued season by being eligible for the final six games and makes it a virtual certainty that he becomes an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Jackson previously stated he would sit out the entire season rather than play for a one-year contract tender offered by the Chargers, but he’s going back on that. Labor uncertainty has prompted an about face, bringing fear that a new agreement, or an extension of the old one, would allow the Chargers to retain Jackson’s rights and designate him as a restricted free agent in 2011. — North County Times

From what we hear, Chargers GM A.J. Smith was trying hard not to lose Shawne Merriman while getting nothing in return. Smith had been working the phones to get a trade in place prior to the league’s Oct. 19 trading deadline, but the fact that the sixth-year linebacker was hurt made him a very difficult commodity to move. Smith also had the option to hold on to Merriman for now and let him depart as a free agent in the offseason, a maneuver which could have netted San Diego a compensatory draft pick. However, with LBs Donald Butler, James Holt and Jyles Tucker all on I.R., the team couldn’t afford to waste a roster spot on an injured Merriman and ultimately had to cut him loose. — Pro Football Weekly

Receiver Vincent Jackson will join the Chargers late this month at the urging and recommendation of the NFL Players Association, according to an espn.com report Wednesday night. Jackson will do so to earn an accrued season and ensure that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2011, the report stated, citing sources it did not identify. To gain a season of service, a player must be available for six games. If Jackson follows the union’s recommendation, he’ll report by Oct. 31 to serve a three-game suspension as a member of the roster-exempt list and be eligible to play Nov. 28 at Indianapolis. Jackson would earn a prorated portion of the $600,000 tender currently being offered by the Chargers and play the final six games of the regular season. Jackson and his agents have repeatedly said that he’s willing to sit out the season, but that might change because of the union’s involvement and possible punishments and complications in the collective bargaining agreement currently being debated. — North County Times

Technically, left tackle Marcus McNeill is still on a one-year contract rather than having agreed to terms on an extension. Sources familiar with the talks said that when the initial report came out Monday night that McNeill had agreed to a five-year extension, there remained multiple sticking points between the sides. The Chargers and McNeill’s agent talked Tuesday, and a deal is roundly considered imminent. A long-term deal for McNeill was expected and pretty much promised from the moment he reported back to the team on Sept. 25 after his spring and summer holdout.

The Chargers are not expecting their remaining disgruntled player, receiver Vincent Jackson, to report this season. The NFL trade deadline is a week from today, but the Chargers are sticking to a high asking price from other teams. The Chargers have said they will not offer Jackson a higher tender. And Jackson has said he will not play for the Chargers for their offer, which would amount to slightly more than $240,000 if Jackson signed before Sunday. – San Diego Union-Tribune

Norv Turner thought it preposterous that special teams coach Steve Crosby could be on the hot seat, even after yet another disastrous showing in the kicking game. The Chargers had two punts blocked that resulted in a touchdown and a safety for Oakland, vital points in the Raiders’ 35-27 victory on Sunday. They also allowed a 46-yard punt return by Nick Miller and couldn’t get the return game going for the fifth straight game. Those were the latest in a series of special-teams disasters, which include giving up three returns for touchdowns in previous losses to Kansas City and Seattle. All told, special teams have directly cost the Chargers four touchdowns and a safety in five games. Despite such dismal results, the Chargers head coach threw his support behind Crosby when the assistant’s job security was called into question. “Don’t be silly,” Turner said. “We’re going to get the right guys on the punt team that are going to do the right job. We have an outstanding coaching staff, and I have the highest regard for what Steve Crosby does.” — North County Times

Nate Kaeding has just one touchback in 22 kickoffs this season, tied with the New York Jets’ Nick Folk for the lowest touchback percentage (4.5) in the NFL. Kaeding’s 61.5-yard average is also lowest in the league among those with more than 14 kickoffs. Since 2004, Kaeding’s rookie season, the Chargers’ kick coverage team has ranked 14th in kickoff return average allowed. This while Kaeding has had just 41 touchbacks in his 551 kickoffs, fifth-worst in the NFL (among those with 400 kickoffs) in at least the past 20 seasons. “I’m not a home run hitter,” Kaeding said yesterday, as he has many times. He’s good enough. And he has to be for the foreseeable future, as the Chargers don’t believe they cn afford a roster spot for a kickoff specialist and are not going to jettison the most accurate regular-season field goal kicker in history. – San Diego Union-Tribune

Shawne Merriman is not on solid footing with the Chargers. He remains on the trading block, as he has been for more than a year, and could be moved before the Oct. 19 trading deadline. But there has been little activity on that front. And, thing is, an injured player is not going to be traded. An injured player, however, can be cut. Even if Merriman is not traded, that is no guarantee he will remain with the Chargers until the end of the season. Three seasons removed from his third straight Pro Bowl, having created more news off the field than on it of late, it is a very real possibility that Merriman will be released before January. — San Diego Union-Tribune

Tests on Ryan Mathews’ right ankle were negative and indications are that the rookie running back will play Sunday at Seattle. Mathews wore a protective boot and was said to be “sore” a day after leaving the game in the first quarter. Mathews had five carries for 26 yards and two receptions for 29 yards before leaving. Said head coach Norv Turner: “He was off to a great start … of what was going to be a very big day.” — San Diego Union-Tribune