Which teams should Philip Rivers sign with?
By John Buhler
Philip Rivers wants to keep playing in the NFL, but it won’t be for the Los Angeles Chargers. Here are five teams who could use him in 2020 NFL free agency.
It’s the end of an era of Los Angeles Chargers football. Not only are they done with playing in a soccer stadium, poised to play second fiddle to the Los Angeles Rams instead of the L.A. Galaxy, but Philip Rivers is no longer going to be part of the football equation for the Bolts.
That’s right. Los Angeles officially announced that Rivers has played his last game with the Chargers on Monday morning. This comes as no surprise, as Rivers and his entire family moved from San Diego to Florida this offseason. Rivers is in his late 30s and wants to keep playing, but it’s not going to be with the team he’s spent his entire career with.
Just because Rivers and his family now call Florida home like many retired or near-retired people, that doesn’t mean he’ll only play for one of the three NFL teams in the state. Only one of those three teams is even a good fit for him if we’re being totally honest.
Though Rivers may be a shell of himself after seemingly falling off a cliff in 2019, here are five teams who could be in on him this offseason. Even if it’s only for a year or so, these five clubs may have varying interest bringing the NFL’s greatest smack-talking, shot-putting southern quarterback into the mix. Here are his potential suitors in 2020 NFL free agency.
35. Pick Analysis. AFC. Tennessee Titans. 5. player. Scouting Report. South
The Tennessee Titans are an interesting fit for a few reasons, but not a compelling enough of one to make this his top landing spot. Tennessee’s quarterbacking future is a tad murky entering 2020. We know Marcus Mariota won’t be back next fall, but how much are the Titans willing to pay Ryan Tannehill on a new deal? He was great last year, but how much do the Titans trust him long-term?
Rivers won’t cost as much as Tannehill on the open market. We know offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will put him in situations to succeed. Plus, Rivers will get to hand the ball of a ton to Derrick Henry, so that will help. Even though Nashville is the closest NFL city to Rivers’ native North Alabama, this feels like a last resort option for him because we should expect Tannehill to re-sign.
87. NFC. 4. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. South. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers could be in the mix too, depending on how they approach this offseason. If the Panthers move off their former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton, then Carolina could very well enter the free-agency market and get another former top-tier quarterback for bargain-basement prices. Rivers also played his college football in nearby Raleigh, so that’s something.
The biggest reason Carolina shouldn’t be a serious bidder for Rivers is they’re not a likely playoff team in 2020. This was arguably the worst team in football at the end of last year. Add in that teams in their first year under a new coach are largely terrible. This may not be how Rivers wants to spend his last year or so in the NFL. Carolina should get ready for Trevor Lawrence in 2021.
Scouting Report. 3. North. Chicago Bears. player. 57. Pick Analysis. NFC
One team we all expect will dip into the free-agent quarterback market is the Chicago Bears. We’ve seen enough out of Mitchell Trubisky to know he’s not the answer other than being the guy Ryan Pace traded up for to not draft Deshaun Watson out of Clemson or Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech. Simply put, the Bears need a veteran quarterback. Rivers is a veteran quarterback.
Ultimately, this is a terrible fit for all involved. Chicago is in another part of the country from Florida. A quarterback needs to have a gun to survive in the NFC North climate. When Rivers throws the football, it looks increasingly laborious with every pass attempt. Rivers is better off retiring than playing in Chicago, but the Bears’ desperation could mean one last big payday.
Indianapolis Colts. AFC. South. 2. player. 46. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Finally. We have arrived at a potential landing spot for Rivers that makes some degree of sense. Even though Indianapolis is a Midwestern city, the Colts play in the AFC South. That means Rivers can play in a southern climate and will play all of his home games in a dome. This will masquerade his depleting arm talent akin to what the New Orleans Saints are doing with Drew Brees.
As for team fit, the Colts understand that they can’t win a division with Jacoby Brissett. The Colts aren’t in a good enough spot to draft a quarterback in the top 10 without trading up. Indianapolis has a solid roster and a boatload of cap space. If any team is willing to pay a gross premium to bring an aging veteran signal-caller aboard like Rivers, then it would have to be the Colts.
1. player. 48. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. NFC. South. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t know what they’re doing with franchise quarterbacks. Unless they feel like bring back Jameis Winston and his 30 picks, they will once again not bring back a first-round quarterback on a new contract. We know that Bruce Arians can coach and Rivers isn’t afraid to let it rip. Tampa is in Florida. Rivers is in Florida. This is a match made in Floridian heaven.
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Even if Rivers is only the third-best quarterback in the NFC South behind Brees and Matt Ryan, the Buccaneers have enough talent on both sides of the ball, I don’t know, to make the NFC playoffs with competent quarterback play. If there is a team that reminds us of some of the better Chargers teams of the last few years, then the Buccaneers are it.