Las Angeles quarterback Philip Rivers is slowly becoming acclimated to life in the big city. After 13 seasons in San Diego, the star said he will always be a San Diego Charger at heart.
Career While in San Diego
Rivers could not have seen the move coming when he signed his contract through 2019. The franchise was in San Diego for 55 years and it was his first home. In the 2004 Draft, Rivers was chosen as the fourth pick in the first round by the New York Giants out of North Carolina State. He was subsequently traded for Eli Manning to the Chargers. Since then, he has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the game.
Rivers just competed in is his sixth career Pro Bowl where he joined two other Charger teammates, Casey Hayward and Melvin Gordon. Rivers will going into his 14th season as an accomplished quarterback.
- Finished 2015 season with 4,792 passing yards, second-most in the NFL and the second-most in a season in team history
- 5 consecutive team MVP awards
- Ranked eighth all-time in passing touchdowns (314)
San Diego ➡️️ L.A.
Any regrets for the @Chargers star QB?Just one: https://t.co/XKeTHRjBzR pic.twitter.com/fsV3g853Gt
— NFL (@NFL) February 22, 2017
Carrying Over to 2017
In addition to the above, Rivers heads into 2016 as the franchise’s all-time leader in multiple areas:
- Regular-season wins (92)
- Consecutive starts (160)
- Completions (3,462)
- Completion percentage (64.8)
- Touchdown passes (281)
Despite all of his accomplishments, Rivers said that the one thing he wishes he could have done was bring the city a Super Bowl championship.
Rivers said that leaving the city that he began his career in is tough, however, he is looking forward to being in LA and is appreciative of the fans. He also added that he has received many positive comments since the move was announced. Rivers said the reality of the move is slowly setting in for him as he begins to get excited about the upcoming season.
The team plans to release their official 2017 schedule this Spring. The Chargers do know that the opponents they will face at home include: the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins.