Philip Rivers rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

Philip Rivers seems certain to be playing elsewhere next season, and here are the five best fits for him as he nears free agency.

On the list of notable free agent quarterbacks this offseason is Philip Rivers, who after 16 seasons with the Chargers (14 as the starter) seems sure to be moving on. He has moved across the country to Florida, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports has passed along his belief Rivers will not be back with the Chargers.

But nothing has been or has to be determined right now. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network contradicted Glazer with a report the Chargers are working their way through all the options regarding Rivers, including a franchise tag. There’s the possibility of a tag and trade if he were franchise tagged, but that put Rivers on the books for at least $27.6 million next season. The Chargers surely don’t want to commit to that, and a team who may even think about engaging them in a trade discussion won’t want to take that on for a 38-year old quarterback.

So it’s far more likely Rivers hits the open market unattached to a tag. Retirement is also an option, but let’s assume he wants to play and will be able to find a new team.

Here are the five best fits in free agency for Philip Rivers.

5. Carolina Panthers

This one depends on the direction the Panthers move under new head coach Matt Rhule, who has a long contract to give him some security during a possible full-on rebuild. Cam Newton seems sure to be gone, via release or trade, and the Panthers could very well take a quarterback with the No. 7 overall pick in April’s draft.

But as a bridge to a drafted rookie taking over in 2021, River is a viable option. Carolina has always seemed more in line for a reset than a rebuild, the NFC South could be despite the depth in the NFC a push back up to playoff contention may only require improvement/regression to the mean in a few areas. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pointed to the Panthers as one of five teams who could rise from the bottom of the standings next year like the San Francisco 49ers did this year. That’s probably a little aggressive, but adding Rivers as a proven option under center to go with the good weapons around him makes it feel more possible.