Rosenfels: What's next for Rivers with Chargers' future up in the air?
Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.
"The only thing you can count on in the NFL is change."
This was said to me by Mike Shula during the 2003 offseason. It came just days after Shula accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater, the University of Alabama. That quote always stuck with me as I bounced from team to team over 12 years. During my NFL tour, I was around hundreds of players and coaches. Getting comfortable in one spot never came to fruition.
The weather doesn't fluctuate much in San Diego, but big changes are in the forecast. With an old stadium, which is far behind in the race for NFL dollars, the Chargers are pondering a move to Los Angeles. The Spanos family, which has made billions in real estate, is researching the best deal moving forward. Its attempts at building a stadium in San Diego have repeatedly failed, and the family is inching closer and closer to a decision that will have a huge impact on the city of San Diego and Chargers fans. The Spanos' real estate strategy has never been to rent, but to be the landlord. This adds to the complexity of the issue, as they would basically be a tenant in Stan Kroenke's stadium in L.A. Yes, this is a very unusual time for the Chargers.
Along with a possible franchise move is the fact that the team currently has no coach. That's one element the Los Angeles Rams avoided, at least for six months, by keeping Jeff Fisher during their move west from St. Louis. So we've got a football team with no head coach and players who don't know where they'll be living in a few months. Not necessarily the best formula for success in 2017.
The Chargers' rock for the last decade has been their quarterback. Despite having an inconsistent team and never making the Super Bowl, Philip Rivers has put up Hall of Fame-caliber numbers during the last 11 years. As you'll recall, he sat behind Drew Brees for two seasons before becoming the full-time starter in 2006. Since then, the Chargers have had hundreds of coaches and players come and go. What has stayed the same is Rivers. During times of uncertainty, people look to leadership for direction.
Before I can look to the future of Philip Rivers and the Chargers, I want to look back to 2004, when he was drafted. This was the infamous draft when Eli Manning was the Chargers' first pick and Rivers was chosen by the Giants three slots later. With Manning refusing to sign a contract with the Bolts, the two teams swapped players (and draft picks), and they haven't changed teams since.
While the Giants have a celebrated history of being one of the most consistent organizations in professional sports, the Chargers are better known for draft pick holdouts, embarrassing whiffs in the draft, and firing head coaches after 14-2 seasons. Believe me when I say Manning wasn't the least bit concerned that he would miss out on San Diego's perfect weather. He made his decision based on insider NFL knowledge. This decision was about the ability to win Super Bowls. At the time, the Chargers had an inconsistent history that hasn't changed course. Thirteen years later, Eli has two Super Bowl rings and has played in only two offenses under two head coaches. Consistency matters, and the Giants are like granite compared to the Chargers' crumbling sand.
Added to the team's challenges is that they play in the best division in the NFL. The Raiders have finally found the right people to run their organization, and are one of the best young teams in the league. The Broncos have John Elway, who seems to make smart move after smart move in Denver. Kansas City has improved each year that Andy Reid has been the head coach, and has an excellent chance to play in the AFC title game this year. This loaded division isn't going to get easier anytime soon.
So what does the future hold for the rock of the organization? At 35 years old, Philip may have to deal with unprecedented change in his life as well. The father of eight children, he and his wife could move for the first time in his career. Anyone who has moved understands the challenges of this task, and doing it with eight kids isn't a simple feat.
This is also assuming the Chargers want him in their future plans. After a season in which he put up a career-low 60.4 completion percentage and a career-high 21 interceptions, how much of the blame should be placed on Rivers? Obviously, the quarterback has the most impact on a team's success, and his regression should be noted as the Bolts move forward. There hasn't been much noise in regards to the Chargers moving on from Rivers, but that doesn't mean the organization isn't aware of his age and production. For the San Diego to get back to the playoffs, he needs to play better.
One reason the Chargers won't give up on Rivers is because the fire that burns in their QB's soul has been infectious. Some may call him cocky, but anyone who has been around him knows his competitive spirit is unmatched. Without any doubt, he believes he has plenty of gas left in the tank. If San Diego can find the right coach, get more players around their quarterback, and have a healthy offensive line for once, Rivers has the drive to will his team back to the playoffs. He also has a young team that, despite being decimated by injuries, could easily have won six more games this year. The difference between 5-11 and 11-5 can be so close in the NFL that if you blink, you'll miss it.
The Chargers are a team adrift at sea, looking for an island to call home. They've just fired their captain and have been taking on water for years. Unless they find the right leadership, this ship may wander aimlessly for another decade. In the meantime, their quarterback will continue to keep it afloat. That's a huge task for one man.
Philip Rivers has many responsibilities. This offseason, he'll need to find a way to lead a team whose future is as uncertain as it gets in the NFL.