San Diego ? Linebacker Donnie Edwards thought he’d be with the Kansas City Chiefs for his entire career. So what’s he doing with lightning bolts on his helmet?

“I learned that it’s a business,” said Edwards, who was an offseason salary cap casualty of the Chiefs, getting cut even though he led the team in tackles each of the last four seasons. Edwards signed with his hometown Chargers in April, and today will face his former team for the first time when the Chiefs (3-2) visit AFC West rival San Diego (4-1).

Edwards figured the Chiefs preferred to spend money on their high-powered offense, which is second in the NFL in scoring at 34.2 points per game behind quarterback Trent Green, running back Priest Holmes and tight end Tony Gonzalez.

“I don’t catch the ball or run the ball, I just make tackles,” Edwards said. “So, hey, I’m in San Diego now.

“It’s an important game for me, obviously, because they decided they didn’t want me, so it’s going to special for me. I’m going to go out there and play like I normally play, but it’s going to have a little bit more meaning for me.”

Edwards still has several friends on the Chiefs, including Gonzalez and fullback Tony Richardson. And he has great respect for Holmes, who leads the NFL with 590 yards and eight touchdowns, and will try to outgain San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson, who’s third in the league with 554 yards.

But Edwards will have to put those feelings aside, because the Chargers are in a stretch of three straight division games and they were pounded 26-9 at Denver last Sunday.

Besides, some of the Chiefs, who are coming off wins over Miami and the New York Jets, will be gunning for him.

“It’s going to be interesting,” said Richardson, who attended Edwards’ wedding a few months ago. “I saw Donnie grow up in this league. Now I have an opportunity to let him know I’m still the big man,” he said with a laugh.

“Man, just a year ago he was on my side and he was making plays for us.”

Holmes and Richardson made plenty of big plays when the Chiefs won 25-20 in San Diego last year, starting the Chargers on their season-ending, nine-game losing streak.

Holmes rushed for 181 yards, the most ever against the Chargers, and scored once. Richardson scored twice, including the go-ahead touchdown with 1:26 left. That TD came after Drew Brees, then a rookie, relieved injured starter Doug Flutie and rallied San Diego from a 19-0 deficit to a 20-19 lead.

“Last year he destroyed us,” Chargers Pro Bowl linebacker Junior Seau said of Holmes. “Hopefully we can go out there and avenge that.”

Seau might be back after missing last week’s game with a sprained ankle, but the defense won’t be at full strength. Strong safety Rodney Harrison is questionable and end Marcellus Wiley is doubtful, both with groin injuries.

Tomlinson, held to just 48 yards at Denver, might catch a break. Kansas City’s defense ranks last in the league, allowing 423 yards per game. The run defense is ranked 15th, allowing 106 yards.

Green, San Diego’s third-string quarterback during his rookie season of 1993, has thrown 12 touchdown passes and his 100.4 passer rating is fifth in the league.

New Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer will be facing one of his old teams, but it’s been almost four years since he left the Chiefs. He doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal because he faced them twice last year while coaching the Washington Redskins.

One was a meaningless exhibition loss in Kansas City. “Then, of course, the game last year which I prefer to forget, was in Washington,” Schottenheimer said.

That would be a 45-13 loss to the Chiefs, Washington’s third loss en route to an 0-5 start.

Chiefs rookie Scott Fujita, a fifth-round draft pick who impressed coaches from the opening day of training camp, will make his first start today. He’ll replace veteran Lew Bush, who was with the Chargers for seven years before signing as a free agent with the Chiefs in 2000. Bush has sore ribs.

Another former Chief now with the Chargers is punt returner Tamarick Vanover, who was out of football the last two seasons.

The Chiefs cut Vanover in April 2000 after it was revealed he admitted to an FBI agent that he gave former Chiefs running back Bam Morris $40,000 to buy marijuana.