The Chargers have not made much of an effort to target Philip Rivers‘ heir apparent yet. Because the plan still appears to be a semi-long-term future with their current starter. Extension talks between the Bolts and their 37-year-old quarterback are set to commence. Rivers confirmed no such discussions have unfolded yet, but going through his 15th season did not change his mindset to avoid retirement for a while. The 2004 first-round pick gave the “year-by-year” answer during a radio interview with San Diego’s XTRA 1360 (via Pro Football Talk) before adding he believes he has a “handful” of seasons left. In the final year of his latest contract, Rivers is due an $11MM base salary and $5MM roster bonus in 2019. A $23MM cap charge is attached to this deal, and another re-up would bring that down. Los Angeles is projected to hold middle-of-the-pack cap space ($25MM-plus).
Here is the latest from the West divisions, moving to one of the Bolts’ top rivals:
- Although Domata Peko‘s two seasons in Denver doubled as the Broncos‘ worst two-year stretch since the early 1970s, the veteran nose tackle rewarded the team’s modest investment. Again a free agent, Peko wants to continue his stay in Denver. “Of course I want to be back,” Peko said, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “I love it here, love these guys, you don’t know what they’re going to decide. But I feel good, like I can play.” The Broncos saw more improvement from Shelby Harris, an RFA who could be in line for a hefty raise. Harris could slide in and become Denver’s new starting nose, but Peko, at 34, may not cost too much to retain as a part-time player. Pro Football Focus slotted the longtime Bengals nose man as this year’s No. 42 interior defender.
- Conversely, the Broncos’ half-decade run with Bradley Roby is expected to end, per Legwold. Neither Roby nor 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray are expected back in Denver next season. The Broncos have a solid glut of impending UFAs, with Matt Paradis and Shaquil Barrett joining Peko, Roby and Ray. While the Broncos have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb residing as one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing duos, their formerly formidable cornerback corps will be incredibly thin without Roby. All-Pro Chris Harris is still under contract, but for just one more season.
- One of the workout circuit’s most popular players, free agent punter Brock Miller received a look from another team recently. The Rams employ All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker, but with the Patriots featuring left-footed punter Ryan Allen, Los Angeles brought in the left-footed-punting Miller for a look, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Miller has received several workouts like this but been more than a de facto scout-teamer, being part of the Giants’ practice squad last month.
There really is no need to draft an heir apparent to rivers yet (especially with the crop of QBs coming out of this draft). There are Rivers haters in abundance, but one thing that is legitimately clear…. is that perhaps no team would suffer a larger drop off without their staring QB than the chargers. Not sure if people realize how truly bad kellen Clemens, Charlie Whitehurst, and now geno Smith are. All the “can’t win the big game, rivers sucks, etc” talkers our there…. I disagree, but that’s your opinion, so fine. No big deal. But something that’s not debatable, is just how bad this team would be with any of these backups, or any of the upcoming crop in this years draft. Rivers makes this offense go, plain and simple.
You managed to contradict your own argument in the space of 2 sentences. Duh.
What’s the contradiction??
You state that the Chargers would suffer the greatest drop off of any team if they were to lose their starting QB Rivers. Doesn’t that suggest that they would be the team most in need of having an heir in waiting if such bad luck were to occur?
That’s not a contradiction. Everything he said was correct. Maybe they could sign a better backup, but Rivers is their guy and there isn’t a single QB worth investing in come draft day, so no… no contradiction at all.
Apparently neither of you understand that football is a business. An owner can not go before the fans and say “We are totally screwed if we lose this guy but I’m a defeatist so we aren’t going to look for a substitute”. “Oh, and bye the way would you mind renewing your season tickets now”.
If you saw what happened to the cards for not getting a QB before Palmer retired. The same thing will happen to the chargers if they can draft their future replacement