With the San Diego Chargers closer to a Los Angeles move and no new contract between Philip Rivers and the team, it’s more than likely the last season for the quarterback before either going somewhere else or retiring.
Rivers has been in San Diego since 2004, the only team he has ever played for, and a starter since 2006. He hasn’t missed a game or a start in the last nine seasons. For better and sometimes for worse, he’s the face of the franchise for a decade and probably beyond. But some things are bigger than the player, and that might mean no more Rivers.
Rivers is going to play in 2015, but beyond that? The Chargers can use the franchise tag on him, but he’s not interested in moving his big family a couple of hours North. There have been talks of a trade to the Tennessee Titans for Marcus Mariota which would move him closer to where he grew up in Alabama, but that’s not going to happen.
The Chargers are in negotiations with Rivers, but they’re moving slow. Their talks about the new stadium in Carson while the city is trying to somehow keep them in San Diego are a lot more aggressive and moving at a much more rapid pace. Rivers is important, but relocating the team seems to be a lot more for the people running the franchise.