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UPDATE: Jay Glazer said at the Super Bowl that he did NOT report Rivers is done in LA. He said his opinion is that Rivers does not return, but he is not reporting that. He spoke further about the confusion.
Fox NFL insider .@JayGlazer says he didn’t say the #Chargers had “moved on” from QB Philip Rivers. He said he was surprised when people texted him asking him if it was true. He says when he reports something the world knows. pic.twitter.com/1MTKpRDClv
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) January 28, 2020
The writing has been on the wall for a while now, but the L.A. Chargers have reportedly “moved on” from their franchise quarterback Philip Rivers, according to Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer.
Rivers was an iron man on the field, as he didn’t miss a single game in his 14 years as the starter. He will end his time with the Chargers after putting up 59,271 yards passing, 397 touchdowns, 198 interceptions and a 95.1 QB rating. His interceptions will stand out as his worst attribute, but there is no argument that he wasn’t a good NFL quarterback.
Rivers still wants to play and should have suitors in a league always looking for veteran talent. Not long ago, back in the year 2018, Rivers had a good season as he helped his team to a 12-4 record while throwing for 32 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and his second-best completion rate of his career. 2019 wasn’t nearly as good and Rivers appeared to take a true downturn in his ability as he threw 23 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. The question for teams looking for a starting quarterback is how much does Rivers have left in the tank?
There have already been rumors of him going to Tampa Bay, likely fueled by Bruce Arians’ ability with Carson Palmer late in his career and proximity to Rivers’ home. Of course, Jameis Winston’s status is still up in the air.
If we’re spitballing here, quarterback needy teams that could use Rivers for a year or two are the Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears. I doubt Rivers would go anywhere that didn’t want him to start in 2020, but he is one of the most competitive quarterbacks ever to play and I expect he’ll be starting somewhere next season.
The Chargers on the other hand, have Tyrod Taylor if they need a quarterback to bolster a draft pick in his rookie year. Justin Herbert comes to mind, as the Chargers are in need and have the No. 6 draft pick. There’s still a lot of time and evaluation to go, but the Chargers will most-likely fill their quarterback need through the draft.