Philip Rivers Leaves Chargers, Becomes a Free Agent

After 16 years spent with the Chargers, Philip Rivers is going to find a new team. One of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, will have a fresh start at the age of 38.

“I’m not sure what the future holds, but my family and I look forward to seeing what God has planned for us next,” Rivers wrote in the statement earlier today.

He and the Chargers decided to mutually part ways before the start of the offseason, in order to have enough time to prepare for the upcoming moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co419lOFWuo

Something like this was expected even before the official announcement, when Rivers moved with his family down to Florida, leaving behind his home in California.

His Chargers struggled this season, recording just five wins and 11 losses, with Rivers having one of his poorest seasons ever. He would throw 4,615 yards, with 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, in yet another campaign which finished without the playoffs.

Without a doubt, he might be the biggest name in this franchise’s history, as he made more than 30 records, since wearing the jersey for the first time.

Back in 2004, Rivers was picked 4th overall by the New York Giants and was traded to the Chargers the very same day for Eli Manning, who refused to play for the team from San Diego at the time.

Many fans are considering him to be the best QB without a Super Bowl ring. He has 397 TD passes the most from all the QBs without a Super Bowl ring. Also, Rivers is ninth among all QBs when talking about the number of wins with 123.

Apart from that, with 59,271 yards, he holds the sixth place on the all-time, and knowing his qualities, there is a realistic possibility of seeing him move upwards for a couple of places.

He achieved all this by wearing the Chargers jersey. It is why all the fans see him as the icon of the franchise.

“Through 16 seasons, 224 consecutive starts and more ‘dadgummits’ and ‘shoots’ than any of us can count, not only has Philip Rivers been our quarterback, he’s been the heart and soul of our organization,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h04STVbEQW8

But what will be his future now? He still has at least two or three quality years left. On the other side, there are a few teams who will switch their starting QBs during this offseason. So the big question is where Rivers will end up?

Some are suggesting that the Chicago Bears might be a perfect fit for him. Mitch Trubisky has been labeled as a failure, and the Bears’ team suffered heavily for not having a reliable QB in recent times. Arguably the best defense in the league didn’t even reach the playoffs this season, although many considered it to be one of the Super Bowl contenders.

Rivers would be a perfect fit for them, and he also would have a serious shot at the title. It is something the 38-year old veteran dreams for a long time. To be honest, apart from 2007, when he led the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game, he never had a team that was a contender. With the Bears, the situation would be much better.

We’ll see what the future holds, for Rivers, as many other teams, too, have their math about his landing.