The Los Angeles Chargers start a new journey when they move into their new stadium with the Rams in Inglewood, CA in 2020.
But the question remains whether or not they are going to start a new era at the quarterback position.
For Philip Rivers, going from a stadium that had a seat capacity of 27,000 to one that seats nearly 80,000, as well as leading the Chargers into their new chapter is not a motivating factor in him wanting to be back next year.
The future for Rivers, who is slated to become a free agent, remains to be seen. Even though he has had a down year, the 38-year old still believes he can play football.
“I know I can still do it. And I know I can still do it at a high enough level for us to win. I have not done it well enough this year, but I still do love to play, and love to lead these guys and this team. It’s been an array of things that have compounded, to keep us from winning enough games to advance into the tournament,” Rivers said.
Rivers has thrown 21 touchdowns to 18 interceptions this season, giving many the reason to believe that his time has come to an end and that the Chargers must move on after this season.
Rivers believes that his playing days aren’t over. But he will use the time to evaluate his options when the season is over. Even if he does want to continue to play, that doesn’t mean it’s set and stone that he will back in the blue and gold, as it’s ultimately the franchise’s decision whether or not he returns next season.
Rivers has been with the team for 16 seasons, but 17 for the sake of loyalty is not guaranteed. Just look at Brett Favre and Joe Montana. The NFL is a business and the end result is winning, which the Chargers haven’t done this season, and they have yet to secure a Super Bowl with him under center.
“That doesn’t mean [having some really good plays lately] is good enough for someone to want you to keep playing. Because you have to maintain that consistency throughout games and do enough to win football games, which we haven’t done, and I haven’t done well enough this year,” Rivers said.