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Chargers GM on Philip Rivers: ‘He’s our quarterback and plan to keep him well into future’

By Patrick Schmidt

December 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi
December 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi /
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Philip Rivers has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate before the NFL Draft, but San Diego Chargers general manager Tom Telesco offered his most definitive comments yet on his quarterback’s future.

The San Diego Chargers have been rumored to trade Philip Rivers with the quarterback entering his final year of his contract with the Tennessee Titans the perceived favorite to acquire the Pro Bowl signal-caller. However, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco did his best to put the trade rumors to bed.

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Telesco had a press conference on Wednesday with the bulk of the questions about Rivers, his future with the club and if the team is seriously interested in drafting a player like Marcus Mariota in the NFL Draft that begins in eight days.

In his most definitive comments about Rivers, Telesco made it clear that the plan and intent is to keep Rivers a part of the team well into the future.

You wouldn’t expect him to say anything else, would you? He’s not going to come out and say, “We’re actively engaged in trade discussions with teams picking in the top of the draft and we hope to trade Philip before the draft starts on Thursday.”

Rivers is his quarterback…until he’s not.

There would be a handful of teams who would seriously consider trading for the veteran quarterback who is entering his 12th season in 2015 and turns 34 in December. Rivers isn’t discussing an extension with the team because of their uncertain fate in San Diego and a potential move to Los Angeles, which could prevent Rivers from wanting to continue his career with the only franchise he’s played for.

Telesco and the organization has to do their due diligence and scout and visit with top draft prospects at the position, even if they aren’t going to draft them, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that the Chargers worked out the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

First of all, it gives the Chargers an opportunity to see how he looks in person and if they’re in a position to draft a quarterback next year, they’ll be able to compare him to the No. 2 quarterback in this year’s class and if they wanted to trade up they’d know how much they would be willing to give up to make the trade work.

Secondly, it’s his job to look at draft prospects. The New England Patriots looked at quarterbacks and even drafted one in the second round, but that didn’t mean Tom Brady was being shipped out of town. Likewise, the Denver Broncos drafted a quarterback in the second round but Peyton Manning isn’t going anywhere.

Good teams draft a quarterback every other year or so and they’re looking at the class every year, that’s just what they do, and shouldn’t signal anything larger than that.

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