Chargers' President Dean Spanos likes the direction his club is going and in hopes of keeping the franchise on that course, he awarded General Manager A.J. Smith with a five-year contract extension. ?Since A.J. became our general manager (in 2003), following in the footsteps of John Butler, he?s had a distinct and consistent plan to reconstruct the team,? Spanos said. ?He?s a firm believer in building through the draft and taking care of our own players. A.J. and his staff have done a great job of identifying quality football players with excellent character and signing them to long-term contracts. By re-signing and extending our key, core players, we now have one of the league?s most stable rosters. Those efforts have helped us build a young team that?s winning now and built for continued success for years to come." ?A.J.?s efforts are paying off, and I?m looking forward to future seasons working together to bring championships to San Diego.? Smith?s previous contract was scheduled to expire following the 2009 season. The new deal runs through the 2014 season.