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Philip Rivers is playing for the wrong team this weekend

By Brad Berreman

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 20: Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 20: Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears will be battling to salvage their seasons on Sunday, and Philip Rivers may belong on the opposite sideline.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers (2-5) and Chicago Bears (3-3) will face off at Soldier Field in a virtual must-win game for both of them. The quarterback advantage leans toward the Chargers, with Philip Rivers producing yardage even as the Chargers lose games while Mitch Trubisky has looked patently incapable as the reason the Bears have fallen short.

Rivers is in the final year of his contract, and he’s going to turn 38 in early December. He’s started every game for the Chargers since the start of the 2006 season (215 regular season games), and while he may re-sign his time to win a Super Bowl is dwindling. Another disappointing season with the Chargers may compel Rivers to retire, as a top-six passer in league history (currently at 56,770 passing yards).

The trade deadline is next Tuesday, and if the Chargers aren’t already moving into seller territory dropping to 2-6 with a loss on Sunday would push them all the way there. Running back Melvin Gordon is an obvious trade piece, if only he were playing better. Rivers can help multiple teams, including the Bears, without them having to give up on Trubisky completely.

Couple Rivers, who has topped 300 passing yards in four of seven games this season, with a defense that’s still pretty good and the Bears would have one and probably two more wins this season. That includes Week 1 over the rival Green Bay Packers, after which Green Bay cornerback Tramon Williams offered a Trubisky scouting report other teams have followed. For a greater comparison, the Bears have yet to put up 300 yards of offense in a game this season.

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A more competent quarterback, leaving aside the durability Rivers has while Trubisky missed a loss to the Raiders in London, would be making a ton of difference for the Bears.

It doesn’t seem likely the Bears will trade for a quarterback to take over for Trubisky before Tuesday’s deadline, But if they do decide to go that route they’ll get a close look at Rivers on Sunday, perhaps while wishing he was their quarterback as they watch Trubisky scatter incompletions all over the field.

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