The Big Lead

The Chargers Should Thank Philip Rivers For All Those Wasted Seasons By Trading Him

By Stephen Douglas

Los Angeles Chargers v Tennessee Titans
Los Angeles Chargers v Tennessee Titans / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
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The Los Angeles Chargers are 2-5 on the season and tied for last place in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos. The playoffs are a longshot, but not as unlikely as Philip Rivers' chances at a Super Bowl if he finishes his career with the Chargers.

Center Mike Pouncey was lost for the season when he hurt his neck in a loss to the Denver Broncos. Left tackle Russell Okung just returned to practice after missing the first seven games of the season. In true cursed sports fanchise fashion, Okung is back just in time for the team to lose left guard Forrest Lamp for the season with a broken ankle.

It's time for the Chargers to save Rivers from himself. His current contract ends after this season and then he'll be a free agent and then he can do whatever he wants. He can sign with a better team. He can retire. Or he can resign in Los Angeles and finish out his career in a half-empty stadium. It would be admirable, but ultimately a waste for all involved.

The Chargers have been wasting Rivers' career for about a decade now. Rivers was a Pro Bowler in seven of his first 13 seasons as the Chargers' starting quarterback, yet the team never reached a Super Bowl. They made one AFC Championship Game in 2007 and have made the playoffs just once in the last five seasons and twice this decade.

Rivers has started every game at quarterback for the San Diego /Los Angeles Chargers since 2006. That's 215 consecutive regular season games, plus 11 playoff games. He turns 38 in December. His chances of ever playing a meaningful NFL game again are dwindling as the trade deadline approaches.

He could help some quarterback-poor team like the Chicago Bears or Los Angeles Rams or Tennessee Titans. Heck, if they sent him to the Rams, he wouldn't even have to move. They could swap him straight up for Jared Goff and then pretend they had a new franchise quarterback like the Rams are doing now. Everyone would be a winner, except for the Chargers, and that's nothing new.