El Capitan, Felipe Rios, P Riv, These are just some of the nicknames of the Charger faithful given to that of Philip Rivers. One name Rivers doesn’t possess, however, is Super Bowl champion. Things seemed hopeful in 2018, as the 37-year-old quarterback amassed 4,308 yards with 32 touchdowns and a passer rating of 105.5. An old familiar foe in Tom Brady ended those hopes in decisive fashion in the AFC divisional round. As we head towards training camp and the beginning of the 2019 season, a renewed sense of hype surrounds the captain and the team formerly known as the San Diego Chargers. Is this the year that Rivers finally adds the final bullet point to what seems like a Hall of Fame career?
On paper, it most certainly seems so. With the duos of sophomore superstar Derwin James and rookie Nasir Adderley protecting the backfield plus the bruising combination of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa attacking from the defensive line, the Chargers boast one of the most complete defenses in the league. On the offensive side of the ball, the Bolts have a returning playmaker in tight end Hunter Henry who was sorely missed during the 2018 campaign. Mike Williams will also be looking to contribute more as a big-bodied touchdown target as he steps into the No. 2 role after the departure of Tyrell Williams.
There is a lot hinging on Russell Okung’s undisclosed injury that may keep him out of the upcoming training camp. The team has been very tight lipped about it which is eerily reminiscent of how they treated the Bosa injury of last year which kept the former #99 sidelined for a little more than half the season. If Okung is to be out for a significant amount of time, it could give 2017 second round pick Forrest Lamp the opportunity to give Chargers fans what they want and shore up Philip Rivers’ left side. With everything to look forward to if you stand with the Bolts this season, could this be the last year for Philip Rivers to finally get it done?
Philip Rivers is entering the last year of his 4-yr/$83 million contract. While no one expects the Chargers to not extend him sooner rather than later, the length of the contract could be telling of how much longer the organization expects the face of the franchise to be successful. It’s also worth pointing out that, because of the Chargers lackluster offensive line for most of Philip’s career, he has taken a decent amount of punishment over the years. While it hasn’t been talked about much, Rivers did seem to get a lower-body injury towards the end of the AFC Divisional playoff game with the Patriots.
With no true successor behind him, the chances of Rivers experiencing a Drew Brees situation are slim to none, but that’s not to say that Tom Telesco and company won’t look to trade up in the 2020 draft for someone like Justin Herbert(Oregon) if things go south this season. Another situation that could impact the Chargers come 2020 is Melvin Gordon, who is also coming to the end of his current contract at the end of this season. While the Bolts have proven to be effective without him, Gordon has time and time again proven to be a relief valve for Rivers under pressure.
All in all, this upcoming year will be another exciting one for Chargers fans. Will this be the year that some fans have been waiting their whole lives for or will it be the same old “almost got it” Chargers. Time will tell.
