Negotiating is about leverage - - and in this case, Jackson and his agent have very little.
The Chargers have done nothing in this process which can form the basis of a grievance by Jackson where the NFLPA would get involved on his behalf. There is a contract on the table waiting for his signature, If he chooses not to sign it - - as he says he
never will - - then there are consequences that fall from that choice.
[By the bye, does anyone recall when Lance Briggs swore up and down he would never play a down of football again rather than play for the Chicago Bears? That was about 3 years ago and Briggs has been a LB for the Bears ever since. "Never" is a word that is used frequently in negotiations to mean "I really really don't wanna..."]
With regard to a trade, the Chargers are not obliged in any way to accede to that demand. After all, Jackson has voluntarily stayed away from the team and so he is not a distraction or a negative presence in their locker room. So the Chargers have set a price for him and have stuck to that price. Jackson can fume all he wants, but there is no rule that says the Chargers have to trade him at a price that will move him quickly.
Maybe if the Chargers wind up getting nothing in return for Jackson sometime down the road - - the new CBA will have clauses that cover situations such as this - - then maybe we can fault AJ Smith for getting less than he could for Jackson. The fallout then will be the same as now. Smith made a choice about a trade and that choice will have consequences...
As I understand it, there is one more brief window of time where Jackson can be traded this year before the trade deadline comes and goes. If he and his agent have any common sense at all, they will both STFU for the next couple of weeks and let this cool down a notch as that new window for a trade approaches. Maybe if they stop making this an ego battle in addition to a contract dispute, they might find a way for Jackson to be traded somewhere.
I don't know if that will work. What I do know is that all the bombast and all of the ultimatums that have come from Jackson and his agent have not worked even a little bit. Maybe time to try a different tack...?