In case you didn’t hear, the KC Chiefs recently saw a longtime foe set free from the AFC West. After 16 seasons with the Chargers, both in San Diego and Los Angeles, quarterback Philip Rivers is a free agent.
Now, technically, NFL free agency hasn’t opened yet, but teams are releasing dudes left and right out there. Philip Rivers and the Chargers agreed to “turn the page” last week, enabling both player and franchise to move in different directions.
This isn’t a total surprise.
Last month, when I took a stab at predicting each AFC West team’s starting quarterback come 2021, I had someone else in there with the Chargers, noting that it seemed like the perfect time for the Chargers to start anew due to Rivers’ age (38), poor stats in 2019, the fact that his contract would be up, and the fact that the team dipped to 5-11 after making the playoffs in 2018.
“In anything you do, it’s the people you do it with that make it special. There are so many relationships and memories with coaches, support staff and teammates that will last forever, and for that I am so thankful."
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) February 10, 2020
Philip Rivers to Enter Free Agency » https://t.co/njeTsCbi1D pic.twitter.com/bCKXKTRePh
And yet, by canvassing the current quarterback landscape in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs may not have seen the last of Rivers. There are five teams that I could see landing Rivers in free agency, and the Chiefs are set to face three of them next regular season, and could potentially face yet another in the playoffs.
Let’s start with the three NFC teams.