The Indianapolis Colts have their next quarterback, agreeing to terms with veteran passer Philip Rivers. Adam Schefter among others announced the news late on Tuesday afternoon:
Former Chargers' QB Philip Rivers and the Colts reached agreement on a 1-year deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2020
Rivers guided the Los Angeles Chargers to the Divisional Round of the playoffs just two seasons ago, when the Chargers finished with a 12-4 record and just out of first place in the AFC West on a tiebreaker with the Kansas City Chiefs. That forced the Chargers into the fifth-seed in the playoffs, and two-straight east coast trips to Baltimore and New England respectively.
But for his part Rivers was very solid in 2018, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,308 yards and 32 touchdowns, against just 12 interceptions. His Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt (ANY//A) of 7.79 tied his 2013 campaign as his third-best mark during his career. Rivers was also a Pro Bowl selection in 2018, marking the eighth time he was selected for the post-season honor.
However, Rivers struggled last year. His ANY/A dropped by over a full yard, to 6.32. Where Rivers ranked in the top four in that category in 2018, he fell to 15th in that category in 2019. Additionally, his performance in the deep passing game struggled as well. His Adjusted Completion Percentage on throws over 20 yards, according to charting from Pro Football Focus, was 41.8, which was tied for 12th in the league.
The fit with Rivers in Indianapolis makes a great deal of sense, both schematically and in terms of the coaching fit. Head coach Frank Reich has installed an offense deeply rooted in West Coast designs, which meshes well with where Rivers is right now as a quarterback. In addition, Reich and Rivers have history, as the two spent time together when the Chargers were in San Diego, as did offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. The three will have familiarity with each other, which should certainly ease the transition.
With this being a one-year deal, it does not preclude the Colts from addressing the quarterback position in this draft class. They have been linked to passers such as Jacob Eason and Jordan Love, and with a pair of second-round picks (34 and 44 overall) they can either see if one of those quarterbacks slide into the second round, or potentially move up into the first and try and select them and take advantage of the fifth-year option.
That also makes the Rivers move logical from an organizational perspective. Both Eason and Love might need some time to develop, and having Rivers in place gives the Colts the ability to contend now, while preparing for the future. This gives Reich and company the chance to follow something of the “Mahomes Model,” in that their QB of the future can season behind an established veteran who keeps the team in position to win now.