San Diego Chargers Want Philip Rivers To Stay

San Diego Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told ESPN on March 23 about the team’s desire to keep veteran quarterback Philip Rivers until he decides to retire from the NFL.

The San Diego Chargers want Philip Rivers to stay.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco reiterated this desire to ESPN San Diego Chargers reporter Eric D. Williams on March 23. “Absolutely,” Telesco said. “He’s our guy. Like I said before, when he’s ready to do that, we’ll get moving on it.”

San Diego head coach Mike McCoy seconded the motion in a conversation with Williams.

“Philip is our franchise quarterback,” McCoy told ESPN on Monday. “We’re very fortunate to have him. He’s the leader of our organization. And we’re looking forward to him having a great 2015 season.”

“We are committed to making sure Philip Rivers retires as a Charger, and we will address that at the appropriate time,” Telesco told The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee in December. 

Williams says Rivers is “keeping his options open” taking into consideration the possibility of the Chargers moving to Los Angeles next year and the team’s commitment to building a title contender for the foreseeable future. 

Rivers is in the last year of his contract. He has a $15.75 million base salary for the 2015 NFL season, per ESPN.

Philip Rivers will be the @Chargers QB for the foreseeable future (via @RapSheet): http://t.co/4y3v4xicOV pic.twitter.com/vpT2BIkaDL— NFL (@nfl) March 19, 2015

Williams says Rivers has been the subject of various trade rumors because of him slowing down due to back and rib injuries last season and speculation about the Chargers eyeing 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. 

Telesco is shooting down those rumors. “It’s not even on our radar,” he tells Williams. “He’s a Charger.”

“I don’t like Philip as our QB, I love him,” Telesco texted to Acee on March 17. “And I’ll go to war with him.” 

The ESPN update adds Mariota is not due for a pre-draft visit at Chargers Park. Other quarterbacks San Diego has reportedly invited for a workout include Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson and Baylor’s Bryce Petty. 

Acee reported on March 17 that Rivers isn’t considering retirement just yet. The report also states Rivers is contemplating on playing out his current deal rather than signing an extension with San Diego. 

When Acee asked Rivers if there’s anything at all which will lead him to reconsider, the latter quipped,”Honestly, nothing.”

Rivers got into more detail in his interview with Acee:

“What I can control and all I know as of today, I am signed up for one more year. I guess things could change, but with all the uncertainty in many aspects, I don’t see it changing before camp gets here, and when camp gets here I’m even more certain to play it out. 

Chargers want to keep Philip Rivers http://t.co/EsnyEVFUi2— Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) March 23, 2015

“What we’ve established here with my growing family is hard to recreate. It’s hard to up and recreate that. I know that moves are a part of life. But that certainly is fair to say that (not being sold on moving to Los Angeles) is part of it. The good thing is I’m not under contract in a year where we’d potentially be in Los Angeles.

“The last time we talked was so close to the end of last season, and I was pretty banged up. It was more of the notion of I don’t know how much longer I want to do this. That was one of the scenarios. That has left, and I’m excited. I feel like I have a lot of good years left.”

Despite his back and rib issues in 2014, Rivers managed to throw for 4,286 yards — his sixth consecutive season of 4,000-plus yards in the air in his nine seasons in San Diego, per Acee. It also marked the fourth time in his career he threw for at least 30 touchdowns (31) and established a completion percentage of at least 66 percent.

Rivers is currently 20th in NFL history with his total of 36,655 yards. He has led the Chargers to five postseason appearances during his NFL career, per The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

USA Today’s Nate Davis lists the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams as the ideal desitantions for Rivers in the event he decides to leave the Chargers.   

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