Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs may have marked the last game for quarterback Philip Rivers in a Chargers uniform. But following the contest, Rivers assured that he didn’t want to make it his last in the National Football League.
Los Angeles has a tough decision to make. They can either give it one more go, or start life after Rivers as they are set to embark on a new journey in their new stadium.
Though it would be a hard pill to swallow for Chargers fans to see Rivers in another uniform, it’s very possible that it could end up being that way.
With that, here are five teams that could show interest in bringing in the 38-year old quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts
Like the Chargers, the Colts should be in the market for a quarterback. With uncertainty revolving around Jacoby Brissett as the long-term answer, Rivers would be a reasonable rental for Indianapolis, who possess a lot that would benefit the veteran.
The Colts play indoors, they have a plethora of play-makers on the offensive side of the ball, one of the league’s best offensive lines that would be sure to keep him upright, and there’s some familiarity as coach Frank Reich served as his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2013-15.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have been an ideal destination for Rivers for quite sometime, as many believe that Nashville, TN would be the perfect city for him aside from San Diego.
Tennessee, who made the playoffs after a 9-7 season, will have a tough decision to make at the quarterback position. Ryan Tannehill has been playing extremely well, but he’s a free agent after this season. They could elect to move on from him and franchise tag running back Derrick Henry.
Rivers would join a team that has a stout running game, a plethora of young play-makers like A.J. Brown and a solid offensive line.
Carolina Panthers
There’s a big question mark surrounding the quarterback position in Carolina. No one knows what the future holds for Cam Newton and Kyle Allen doesn’t appear to be the ideal starting quarterback, at least at the moment. With a new coach that will be coming in, this could be an opportunity to bring in a Rivers, who has a little bit of juice left on a short-term deal.
Carolina possesses arguably one of the league’s best running backs in Christian McCaffrey, who could help take some of the load off of Rivers. The Panthers also have up-and-coming talent at the receiver position in D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have a talented enough roster that could easily make the postseason, which is what they showed in 2018. But the main thing that held them back from making a run this season was the quarterback play. Mitchell Trusbisky hasn’t performed up to standards since coming onboard in 2017.
Chicago has wide receivers Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, along with running back David Montgomery to give Rivers some targets. Not to mention, they still have one of the league’s best defenses. With the addition of Rivers and some upgrades along the offensive line, they could be in position to compete in the NFC North next season.
Oakland Raiders
A lot of Chargers fans wouldn’t be in favor of this, but coach Jon Gruden and company would love to bring in player like Rivers. As they are set to embark on a new journey in a new city, Gruden would do anything to kick start their first season in Las Vegas with a proven quarterback.
There’s a lot of uncertainty with Derek Carr as their guy moving forward. Oakland has an above average offensive line and young weapons, including Tyrell Williams, who Rivers played with for a few seasons before being shipped this past offseason.
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