Kansas City Chiefs: Predicting AFC West quarterbacks for 2021 season
By Cullen Jekel
Los Angeles Chargers
Current Starting Quarterback: Philip Rivers, 16th Season
Let’s start with some praise for the Chargers’ longtime starting quarterback. In his 14 seasons as a starter, Philip Rivers has never–never–missed a game. In fact, he’s started every single one of the 224 regular season games in which the Chargers have played since he took over for Drew Brees at the start of the 2006 season.
During those 14 seasons, the eight-time Pro Bowler has thrown for over 3,000 yards every single season while topping 4,000 yards 11 times, including each of the past seven seasons. But it seems that the time to move on has arrived.
Rivers looked like a shell of his former self this season. While that was also the case back in 2014 and 2015, and he nicely rebounded, this time it’s different. In 2019, he threw the least amount of touchdown passes he’s thrown in a season since 2007 while he threw at least 20 interceptions for the third time in his career. He also put up his worst Quarterback Rating since 2012 and his worst QBR of his career.
Plus, he turned 38 last month. Father Time remains undefeated.
Maybe talk of moving on from Rivers would be minimal had the Chargers won despite of him, but that’s no longer the case. Los Angeles finished an ugly 5-11, dead last in the AFC West. It’s also the third time in the past five seasons that the Chargers finished with at least 11 losses.
The Chargers need to move on, and this may very well be the best time to do so.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chargers hold the sixth overall pick. While that may not be high enough to land Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (who makes his decision on whether to enter the draft on Monday), it’s well within striking distance to trade up to, say, number three or the team could stay put and select Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
The other course of action comes via free agency. There could be several tantalizing options in the open market from Tampa Bay’s Jameis “30-for-30” Winston to two Titans quarterbacks, Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota, as well as Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton, Indy’s Jacoby Brissett, and Miami’s Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Here’s what I think the Chargers will do: sign Winston to a one-year deal to see if he can cut down on his interceptions with a new organization. And if he does that, he’s back under center for 2021 and beyond.
He turns only 26 in a couple of days, and he holds every passing record for the Bucs in franchise history. He’s talented, but has flaws–flaws that don’t seem fixable in Florida. Get him on the other side of the country, and maybe he flourishes.
And if he doesn’t–well, this is L.A. after all. Much like the Rams did after they made the move, don’t be surprised if the Chargers make a splashy move. Like, say, trade up to select Trevor Lawrence at number one.
But I’m a fan of Jameis, and that’s a move that should work out.