Rivers feels 'numb' about Chargers' move to L.A.
Philip Rivers has spent his entire 13-year career with the same franchise. Now that franchise is moving to a new city and the veteran quarterback doesn't quite know how to handle it.
"I'm a little bit numb about it all. It hasn't really settled in," Rivers told KLSD-AM in San Diego on Friday, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra.
The Chargers announced Thursday that they will be leaving San Diego after 55 years and moving down the road to Los Angeles. Rivers wants to be excited at the new opportunities a relocation brings, but is having a a hard time letting go of the city he called home for over a decade.
"I want it to be clear that my love for San Diego, the time here, the memories we had, the games, the practices, everything about it is special and awesome," said Rivers. "But at the same time, I hope people understand this, I have to get excited, fired up about going up to a new area and representing our team and organization and going and trying to win as many games as we can win. And be the same guy that I've always been."
While Rivers isn't interested in changing his personality for fans, he's concerned that his legacy as one of San Diego's favorite athletes will be tarnished if he shows enthusiasm over a move that's upset many supporters.
"I'm kind of in the middle of that of leaving behind something that you love, you're thankful for," said the Chargers' all-time passing leader. "And you want to make sure everybody knows that. And then at the same time I don't want people here to go, 'Godly, he sure seems so fired up to go up there.' I'm just fired up all the time, whatever the task is. That's just the only way I know.
"I hope as the dust settles a little bit, I know there are a lot of emotions right now, that people could understand that. I hope that when the dust does settle that the people that have been fans here for a long time can still watch a game on Sunday and go, 'Hey, that's our quarterback.' You want them to still feel that because you always do. It's like your hometown."