Philip Rivers‘ disappointing season has led to speculation the Chargers will seek an upgrade in free agency or the draft. But GM Tom Telesco said (via Daniel Popper of The Athletic, on Twitter) this week he still believes the 38-year-old quarterback can compete at a “top-starter level.” Rivers has bounced back from down seasons before, even winning 2013’s comeback player of the year award after merely coming back from a rough 2012 slate. But the free agent-to-be is much closer to the end of his career and has acknowledged Week 17 may have been his final Bolts game. The Chargers aim to get the Rivers situation sorted out before the 2020 league year begins March 18, Telesco adds (Twitter link). Tyrod Taylor is still under contract, and while Telesco called the ex-Bills starter a capable first-stringer (Twitter link via ESPN’s Eric Williams), promoting the 30-year-old veteran would not be viewed as an upgrade.
Here is the latest from the quarterback landscape:
- A franchise tag may be in the cards for Ryan Tannehill, but the Titans are convinced his change-of-scenery breakout is legit. The Titans believe the 31-year-old passer is a “huge part of their future” and want to sign him to a long-term extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The prospect of a Tannehill re-up initially surfaced in late November, and the sides have begun negotiations. It would cost Tennessee approximately $27MM to use its franchise tag on Tannehill. With Derrick Henry and right tackle Jack Conklin also up for free agency, it would behoove the Titans to have Tannehill locked down before the March 10 deadline. Of course, Tannehill’s Dolphins history makes such a commitment risky.
- The Jaguars will not commit to Gardner Minshew as their clear-cut starter going into the offseason. Doug Marrone said Minshew and Nick Foles will compete for the job, per John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. The Jags gave Foles $50MM guaranteed in 2018; his 2020 salary is fully guaranteed.
- Jameis Winston may have been playing through a more significant thumb injury than initially believed. The Buccaneers quarterback is now wearing a cast, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Winston threw his usual variety of interceptions before the thumb injury surfaced but tossed four in Week 16 against the Texans after being on the Bucs’ injury report with the malady. The soon-to-be 26-year-old passer will be a free agent in March.
Foles is much better suited as a backup, not because he cant be a good starter, but because he seems to do better starting off as the backup.
That makes no sense. Either a starter or not. Backups can win you a couple and come back to earth. I’d say that’s closer to the situation. I wish it wasn’t, as I really wanted Fokes to succeed.
*Foles
On the day foles signed that contract I commented somewhere that he was a system ( or like you said, only good as a backup ) quarterback. It’s kind of sad because I really like him as a person.
Titans shouldn’t tag Tannehill. He’s not worth $27MM and I doubt he’ll leave Tennessee. Take a chance and sign him at something more reasonable. Perhaps something similar to that of Nick Foles.
Tanehill has been amazing this year. They should at very least tag him
Better to tag him than pay him for several years and have him regress to his previous form.
The Titans have a terrible OL and were 30th in time of possession. Beat bum teams with the exception of the Chiefs. Regression is inevitable.
No it would be better to guarantee him $35 million but pay him at about $22 million per year on a three or four year contract.
5 years 100million
As a Bengal fan , I would rather trade our #1 pick for more picks … sign a guy like Rivers for a couple years …we have too many issues not to cash in on more picks
True that. As a Miami fan I was thinking the same for our team earlier in the year.
I’d build around Burrow, no?
Agree agreee agreee
Nooooo
If you’re going to sign a guy like Rivers you might as well just keep Dalton. Neither is a starting caliber QB at this point in their careers.
Why would you trade a possible franchise QB when you need a QB. Not to mention they have the weakest scouting in the NFL. I’m a lifelong Bengals fan and watch them draft poorly every year. You have to take the QB at #1. Not to mention Rivers is done. Dalton is a better option than Rivers.
Rivers is the man, with a patchwork o-line. Give him two O tackles, he will ball
What if the Denver Broncos traded up in the draft with the Detroit Lions.
The Lions are expect to sign Jeff Okudah a CB to help Slay but what if the Broncos traded up.
The Lions would fall to 15th but could still have a chance at getting Grant Delpit S, Xavier McKinney S or Trevon Diggs CB.
Along with swapping first obvious the broncos would have to give up something extra maybe a third, maybe Phillip Lindsay, maybe Drew Lock.
The broncos would then have the third pick in the draft and could choose Derrick Brown to build a strong young defence with Bradley Chubb, Duke Dawson and Issac Yiadom.
They could use that pick to get in Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert as the teams new QB. Tua I think would be the better choice.
They could go for Jerry Jeudy the next great Alabama WR, he be the new number 1 receiver and could kick start a new young offence with Noah Fant and Royce Freeman.
Lions gets to improve that defence, and get something extra. Broncos get another strong young piece for not a huge.
Where in this article did they mention either the Lions or the Broncos?
On the other hand…..
get the relevant GM’s on the phone. Some guy
off the street has solved
their problems!
I think drew lock has played well enough to at least warrant a second year with the Broncs
What?!!? Why in the hell would they trade Drew Lock? What was all that incoherent babbling? SHUT UP.
Okay maybe keep Drew Lock but I’d make a go at moving up in the draft to get an elite talent. Think the offence has a questionable situation at QB, but good young RBs, and a good young TE they need a good WR. And on defence you’ve got Chubb and Miller leading with a bunch of average guys, getting an upgrade there also would be good. Derrick Brown looks like a beast.
As for QB, obviously Flacco is old and is back up material now, Lock looked promising at times but I’m not sure how good he becomes. Maybe moving up to take Tua and securing your QB for the future is a good idea. Flacco could play out the year after allowing Tua to recover, and also not playing well enough to make the playoffs so you can next year get another good piece then start aiming to be successful again.
I’m not sure I think sitting back at 17th picking up someone doesn’t change much, they need another elite talent.
Offensive line is the main problem..I don’t care what quarterback is back there. If you don’t block for them, they cannot and will not be successful
To move up 12 spots would cost a lot more than that.
High you are, yes. Broncos should’ve kept Okung, instead of trying to develope o-line. Elway has failed his city and ruined his legacy
Has anyone watched Rivers throw deep. It looks like he is just heaving a prayer. Time to retire Phillip. Relying on Tannehurt would be a career ending mistake.
Rivers has 2 elite receivers and 2 poor o-tackles. That’s what happens with a poor o-line
Thumb injury more like head/eye injury throwing all those picks.
In ref. To Jamis Winston playing with a n injured thumb that later requires a cast – doesn’t bode well for Jamis’ intelligence. The Bucs have been out of playoff contention for quite some time now. Jamis actually got worse during the final few games which put his return deeper in doubt. That kind of thinking is not that of an iron man. It is more of a selfish individual who not only is lacking confidence in himself but places his teammates in a predicament of possible injury of alienation.
It’s true that I am NO Jamis Winston fan. I am a Buc’s Fan first. I want my team to be the best possible- but with Winston – we’re not putting our best foot forward and I happen to have no faith in his future development.
Bucs need to move on from Winston! 30 ints is just way to much