Tag: Philip Rivers

Watch: Notre Dame QB’s of the present and future work out with former NFL star

This is great to see for Irish fans

As a quarterback you can never get enough instruction and Notre Dame football fans should be excited to see that [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] and 2025 commit [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] are working hard at their craft.

In a social media post by Knight, you can see with of the quarterbacks getting work in with former NFL star quarterback [autotag]Philip Rivers[/autotag]. First off, it’s great to see that Leonard is moving forward in his recover from ankle surgery, as the missed the majority of spring practice.

As for Knight, he’s preparing for his final high school season before he enrolls at Notre Dame. Check out the clips below.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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Former Chargers GM A.J. Smith dies at 75

A.J. Smith was the winningest GM in the franchise’s history with 98 wins during his tenure.

Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith died on Sunday, according to Smith’s son, Kyle, who is the assistant GM for the Falcons.

Smith, who was 75, battled prostate cancer for the past seven years.

Smith served as the Bolts’ director of pro personnel/assistant general manager in 2001, the year they drafted Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson and quarterback Drew Brees.

Smith was promoted to general manager in 2003, and was in that role until 2012.

While Smith was the Chargers’ GM, he selected Eli Manning first overall in the 2004 NFL draft, despite Manning saying he would not play for the team. He was traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers, who had a long successful pro career.

Other successful Chargers players Smith drafted included Shawne Merriman, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles, Antonio Cromartie, and Eric Weddle.

Smith went on to be the winningest GM in the franchise’s history with 98 wins during his tenure.

After being let go of, Smith worked for Washington as a consultant before retiring in 2015. His career in the league began as a scout for several teams and he spent 15 years working as an executive for the Bills.

Drake Maye enjoyed his visit with the Commanders last week

Drake Maye enjoyed his time with the Commanders and discussed several things about the pre-draft process.

“They changed it up; I thought it was pretty sweet.”

That was how quarterback Drake May summed up the Commanders group activity visit, which some have severely criticized.

Maye, who will most likely be selected among the top five picks in Thursday night’s 2024 NFL draft, was a guest on the “This is Football” podcast on Monday.

Going through the NFL draft process, Maye said he was surprised by how “they know a lot about you. They do a lot of research. They do a lot of “recon” (reconnaissance). They know all about you in high school.”

The young 21-year-old who quarterbacked at North Carolina said he was determined to “just be truthful. I think it’s the biggest thing. They try to catch you in the got-you questions. So just be truthful because at the end of the day, just being honest, you never go wrong doing that.”

What did Maye think of the recent Commanders’ visit where several players were present?

“I actually thought it was one of the cool visits I’ve seen…The Commanders took an approach of all of us being together and seeing how we interact and getting a chance to swing the golf club a little bit. I enjoyed it, being around the other guys. I got to meet a lot of different guys throughout the process…We all got our separate time with the coaches when we needed to. It’s not like we didn’t do any of that. The Top Golf was just a way for us to get and do something fun the evening before.”

He was asked if the NFL teams interviewing him bring up a certain play(s). Maye didn’t hesitate, replying, “They’ve brought up a lot of good plays, and sometimes the bad plays are harder to talk about. I say, ‘I should have done this instead of that.’ They bring up some interceptions, like the beginning of the year against South Carolina. They love bringing up that one.”

Describing the play, Maye conveyed, “I scrambled up, scrambled right late and on a back-side dig late across the middle, I shouldn’t have thrown. They just want to hear what you say. If you make an excuse or admit to it, that’s the biggest thing.”

Maye was asked about one of his more memorable plays at North Carolina. The Tar Heels were at the Pitt 7-yard line. Maye took the snap, rolled left, was under heavy pressure, and stuck out his right arm, attempting to stiff-arm his tackler. Maye had just quickly switched the ball to his left hand as the tackler made contact right at the 10-yard line.

“The biggest thing that came to my mind was, ‘Hey, I don’t want to take a TFL (tackle for a loss) here in the red zone. I’ve got to get something out.’ I was stiff-arming the guy with my right hand and just tried to make a play with my left hand. It was just improv.” Indeed it was, as Maye completed the pass into the end zone for a touchdown.

Wanting to make wise use of his time, Maye has been working out some with former San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Report: Chargers to hire Marcus Brady as pass game coordinator

Jim Harbaugh’s coaching staff is taking shape.

Jim Harbaugh’s coaching staff is taking shape.

The Chargers are hiring Marcus Brady as their pass game coordinator, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler added that Brady interviewed for the offensive coordinator job that presumably goes to Greg Roman, who is also expected to join the staff.

Brady was recently the Eagles’ senior offensive assistant.

Before joining Philadelphia, Brady was with the Colts for five seasons, starting as their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018.

That year, he helped Andrew Luck finish with one of the best seasons of his career, in which he threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns en route to winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach the following season. In 2020, Philip Rivers finished the season in the top ten of completion percentage (68%) and passing yards (4,169).

He became the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 2021. That year, Indianapolis finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (149.4) and yards per carry (5.1) and tied for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (22).

Before joining the NFL ranks, Brady was an offensive coordinator in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for eight seasons.

Report: Chargers request to interview Marcus Brady for offensive coordinator vacancy

The Chargers are beginning their search for their next offensive coordinator.

The Chargers have requested to interview Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Brady finished up his first season as the Eagles’ senior offensive assistant.

Before joining Philadelphia, Brady was with the Colts for five seasons, starting as their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018.

That year, he helped Andrew Luck finish with one of the best seasons of his career, in which he threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns en route to winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach the following season. In 2020, Philip Rivers finished the season in the top ten of completion percentage (68%) and passing yards (4,169).

He became the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 2021. That year, Philadelphia finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (149.4) and yards per carry (5.1) and tied for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (22).

Before joining the NFL ranks, Brady was an offensive coordinator in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for eight seasons.

Eli Manning explains why he wanted to play for Giants in 2004

Eli Manning explains what attracted him to the New York Giants back in 2004 and why he was determined to play for the Maras and Tischs.

When Eli Manning retired in January of 2020, he did so as the greatest New York Giants quarterback of all time.

Manning was a two-time Super Bowl champion, a two-time Super Bowl MVP and held nearly 30 franchise records in addition to multiple NFL postseason records.

In the not-so-distant future, Manning is likely to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But as impressive a resume as he compiled, Manning’s NFL career did not get off to the most glorious start. He caused controversy out of the gate, refusing to play for the then-San Diego Chargers, who selected him with the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.

Ultimately, the Chargers swung a deal with the Giants and traded him off to New York in exchange for quarterback Philip Rivers and multiple picks.

The reasons why Manning refused to play in San Diego remained unclear until after his retirement when the quarterback finally revealed his motivations.

But what about the Giants? What attracted Manning to Big Blue as opposed to other NFL teams?

“I think just the history of the Giants and their commitment to football and trying to put a great football team together,” Manning told Giants Wire this week. “There’s no hoopla, there are no cheerleaders, there are no crazy halftime shows. It’s about going out there and being 100 percent committed to the team and that’s the Mara family and the Tisch family.

“It doesn’t always mean you’re going to have success but you know they are 100 percent committed to putting a great product out there and providing everything for the players, so it just seemed like an organization that would match the commitment that I have to football.”

The Giants aren’t a flashy team, that much is true. And contrary to the current narrative, both John Mara and Steve Tisch are committed to putting a good product on the field and taking care of their fans — or “customers” as the late Wellington Mara often referred to them.

Manning certainly embodied all of that during his career, helping to revitalize a fledgling franchise and return them back to glory.

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Watch all of Chargers WR Keenan Allen’s 10,000 receiving yards

Do you have two hours and 15 minutes to spare out of your day? Of course you do.

Do you have two hours and 15 minutes to spare out of your day?

Of course you do because what else better do you have going than to use that time to watch all of wide receiver Keenan Allen’s 10,000 receiving yards throughout his pro career?

Yes, you read that right. Two hours and 15 minutes of footage, starting with Allen’s first NFL catch against the Eagles back in 2013 from Philip Rivers that went for 18 yards all the way to two weeks ago when Allen made an eye-popping one-handed grab against the Jets to reach the milestone.

So get your popcorn ready and enjoy this massive highlight tape to commemorate Allen for his hard work throughout the past 11 years.

Trading for Jameis Winston may be Jets’ best bet after Aaron Rodgers injury

A Jameis Winston trade may be the Jets’ best bet post-Aaron Rodgers injury. Zach Wilson isn’t the answer, and free agent prospects are grim:

The New York Jets didn’t have much time to celebrate their stunning overtime win on Monday night before head coach Robert Saleh broke bad news: Aaron Rodgers is expected to be diagnosed with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury after an MRI Tuesday morning, having fallen awkwardly during a tackle against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium.

What does it have to do with the New Orleans Saints? We’ll get to that after a little more window-dressing.

Zach Wilson did enough for the team to rally into a win against the Bills, but it was a team effort all around. New York’s defense intercepted Josh Allen three times and sacked him five times. He’s tied with Tommy Maddox as the least-clutch quarterback of all time with an NFL-record five losses in overtime. It took a miraculous punt return by undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson and an embarrassing lack of effort by Bills punter Sam Martin to spring the game-winning touchdown return. This isn’t a sustainable strategy. Practice squad quarterback Tim Boyle is the only other passer under contract with the Jets.

Jameis Winston isn’t just an upgrade over Wilson. He might be a better pick for the Jets than any of the free agents available. The list of prospects is grim: unless the Jets can get Matt Ryan or Philip Rivers out of retirement (and there’s no way Tom Brady returns again, to play for the New England Patriots’ top rival, after they just honored him in front of tens of thousands of fans in the rain?), their best bet would be Carson Wentz or another washed-up backup like Joe Flacco or Nick Foles.

Yeah, Winston is a better choice than anyone in that group. Wentz has burned bridges with every locker room he’s ever stepped into and he’s exactly the sort of toxic personality who could ruin what the Jets are trying to build. Neither Flacco nor Foles would be upgrades over Wilson. The Jets could hitch their wagon to him and maybe skate by, but Winston would be a safer bet. He’s thrown more touchdown passes than interceptions in his career, which is more than Wilson can say.

But would the Saints part with Winston? It’s more likely than you’d think. He hasn’t been a good fit in their offense and Sean Payton had to strip away many of the attributes that made him such an exciting prospect just to play him. It’s no mistake that Derek Carr ran a more efficient version of the offense than Winston, Andy Dalton, or Trevor Siemian did the last two years. They may feel they’re doomed with or without Winston on the team should Carr miss time. Some combination of Taysom Hill and Jake Haener might be a preferable alternative.

That’s not to say the Saints should trade Winston for nothing. He’s still an experienced passer in this league and a respected leader in the locker room in New Orleans. He has value to the team. If the Jets try and make a lowball offer, the Saints would be well within their rights to drive a hard bargain from a position of strength — or end the call right then and there. After all, maybe we’re wrong, and they value Winston more than any mid-round pick the Jets could send them.

But if you’re curious, these are the picks the Jets can trade in the 2024 draft (with their second rounder going to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Rodgers):

  • Round 1
  • Round 3
  • Round 4
  • Round 4 (via Broncos or Dolphins)
  • Round 6

I’m just saying: it would be very funny if the Jets traded the 2024 fourth-round pick they’re getting from the Broncos (for defensive end Jake Martin, who isn’t even on their team anymore) to the Saints for Winston. New Orleans would be getting Denver’s picks in rounds two, four, and seven.  I don’t know if that’s realistic, but it is a funny possibility.

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TE Antonio Gates to be inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame

Antonio Gates will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame against the Broncos at SoFi Stadium.

Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame on December 10th against the Broncos at SoFi Stadium.

The announcement came as a surprise to Gates himself, as the Chargers posted in a social media video:

Gates’ Chargers’ Hall of Fame induction will come before his first year of Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility in 2024. It’s widely expected that the all-time leader in tight end touchdowns will get into Canton on his first ballot next year.

The former undrafted free agent went on to have an illustrious career in blue and yellow that spanned two decades in two cities. 2023 actually marks 20 years since the Chargers signed Gates as an undrafted free agent. He formally retired in 2020 after not playing in the 2019 season.

By the end of his career, Gates was an 8x Pro Bowler, 3x First Team All-Pro, 2x Second Team All-Pro and made the HOF All-2000s team. He finished his career with 11,841 receiving yards and 116 touchdowns. Perhaps the crowning achievement of his career was when he broke the tight end touchdown record in Los Angeles against the Miami Dolphins:

The Chargers are stingy about which numbers they formally retire even with their own Hall of Fame inductees, but it feels very likely (though not confirmed) that Gates’ No. 85 will be retired at the same ceremony.

Philip Rivers … 49ers Super Bowl QB? Kyle Shanahan said that was the plan last playoffs

This really could have happened.

Remember what happened to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last year?

After losing Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to injury earlier in the year, Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy stepped in and did an amazing job at QB heading into the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles. But then he got injured, as did journeyman Josh Johnson. Christian McCaffrey had to do it all.

But what if the Niners had won that game. Who would have stepped in for the Super Bowl?

The answer was … Philip Rivers, who never played in a Super Bowl in his solid career.

From ESPN:

“He was prepared to,” Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday. “Now that’s stuff we talked about throughout the whole year. We would’ve had to have seen how that was for the Super Bowl, but that was the plan most of the year.” …

Had the Niners defeated the Eagles and signed Rivers, he would have been playing in the league for the first time since 2020. But joining the Niners in that hypothetical scenario would have given Rivers, 41, his first chance to play in a Super Bowl.

How wild would that have been? A 41-year-old QB who hadn’t played since 2020 would have been signed, suited up with the team for the first time FOR THE SUPER BOWL and could have won one that way.

What a story! Too bad it was just a hypothetical.