NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's softer approach improves the odds of a publicly-funded downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers, Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union Tribune.

Goodell discussed the several stadium proposals in the state of California after speaking at the NFL's Rookie Syposium, including San Diego's.

"I think, again, it’s a positive development from last week with respect to the community looking for a solution," Goodell said last week's city council’s decision to commission a downtown redevelopment study. "But these stadiums are very complicated and a solution has to be developed that can work for the community and work for the team. And there’s really no cookie-cutter here. There are a lot of compelling issues on a local basis and from a team standpoint that have to be considered. They’re big developments."

Goodell added that the $493 million dollars in private money the San Francisco 49ers are committing to the Santa Clara stadium project--which Sullivan notes is based on personal seat licenses, which the Chargers say won't work for them--doesn't mean that a similar private financing can be expected in San Diego.

"Why?" Goodell asked. "Look at the 31 (NFL) markets. Every one of the projects, I think, is developed locally. It has its own elements that are driven by community issues. Some need to have more convention facilities. Some are part of broader developments that are important to the city. So I don’t think you can assume because it’s done in one market (it should happen in another), because they’re all significantly different."