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NFL Rumors: Chargers don’t want to trade Philip Rivers

By Stanford Crissey

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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Sports Illustrated’s Peter King doesn’t believe the rumored Philip Rivers trade will happen, which is too bad for the Titans. 

With the NFL Draft just four days away, the NFL world can’t stop talking about Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. Where Mariota will go, who will trade up to get him, who can offer the Titans the most–the talk likely won’t stop until the second pick in the draft is actually made.

The biggest rumor that has emerged is that the Chargers are willing to trade Philip Rivers to the Titans for the second pick and the right to draft Mariota. The Chargers flew Mariota in for a private workout, and Rivers, their star quarterback, is rumored to be opposed to the team’s potential move to Los Angeles, and unwilling to sign an extension with a team in an uncertain location.

One columnist who doesn’t believe the rumors is Peter King of Sports Illustrated and MMQ. King says he has talked to teams around the league and came away with the impression that the Chargers won’t trade Rivers.

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"Now, I do think the Titans and Chargers will talk this week, but I don’t see a smart match; moreover, as I’ve written all along, San Diego definitely does not want to trade Rivers, and I believe the Chargers have never been told Rivers won’t sign a contract in San Diego beyond this year—though he does not want to currently. I believe Tennessee would want more than the 33-year-old quarterback for the second pick in the draft, and if I’m San Diego GM Tom Telesco, I’m not willing to offer any more."

King goes on to write that he thinks the Titans will end up drafting Mariota themselves.

Now, a “gut feeling” by any columnist, even one as well connected as Peter King, probably isn’t enough to go on, and rumors of the Rivers-Titans trade will continue to persist.

In many ways, it makes sense for the Titans to make the trade; but it makes less sense for the Chargers, who are in win-now mode, to give up a top ten QB for a prospect, no matter how much they like Mariota.

If the Chargers are indeed out of the picture, the Titans will surely continue to listen to offers in the hopes of getting blown away by an RG3-style trade proposal. The Jets, Browns, and Chip Kelly’s Eagles are all rumored to be interested, so the potential for a crazy trade is higher than normal. In any case, it should be an interesting draft.

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