Next man up.
After the Chargers agreed to mutually part ways with Philip Rivers and with the failure to land Tom Brady and lack of interest in signing Cam Newton or any other free agents, Tyrod Taylor is now in position to enter the 2020 regular season as the team’s starting quarterback.
Even if Los Angeles elects to use their first-round selection on a quarterback, Taylor will likely serve as the bridge, still having the responsibilities as the starter until the team is comfortable with the rookie taking the reins.
Taylor is fully confident if he is the one under center when season begins that the team will be sure to have success.
“We have a lot of talent on our team,” Taylor said, per Orange County Register’s Gilbert Manzano. “If I am the guy that would be calling the shots, I know for sure that we’ll go out and turn a lot of heads.”
Aside from the question mark over the quarterback position, Los Angeles still has a roster that’s set up to win, and they even bolstered it more with key additions like offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, guard Trai Turner, defensive tackle Linval Joseph and cornerback Chris Harris, Jr.
While many have some concerns at the position after having the luxury of Rivers, the eight-time Pro Bowler, starting for 14 seasons, Taylor is more than capable of having success in the starting role.
Taylor played for coach Anthony Lynn during his first two years with the Bills, which were the most productive seasons of his career. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015 while Lynn was the running backs coach, and spent most of 2016 with him as the team’s offensive coordinator.
During the three seasons that they were together in Buffalo, Taylor totaled 51 touchdown passes, along with 14 rushing scores.
Taylor’s ability to protect the football is second-to-none, as well. Taylor, who has only thrown 16 interceptions in 44 games, ranks among the league’s best in limiting turnovers.
Those numbers alone should be telling that trust in Taylor should be instilled. With the playmakers around him and one of the league’s best defenses, the Chargers have a team that’s built for the playoffs next season.
Taylor knows that there’s the possibility of a quarterback coming via the draft, but he’s going to continue to work hard this offseason with the mindset that he is going to go into the season and put the team in the best position possible to win games.
“I’ve spoken with our coaches,” Taylor said. “There hasn’t been anything that’s been directly told to me (about the starting job), but I guess through our conversations you get a hint of where the team is going as far as personnel, and like I said, I can’t control what moves would be made and I won’t look to control them. I’ll just continue to focus on bettering myself.”