Philip Rivers signed a massive 4-year extension with the Chargers.
A franchise quarterback means everything to an NFL team. They don’t need to be the type of quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. But they need to be able to lead a team, come from behind, and make players around them better. Look at what Andrew Luck did with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, a team that won 2 games the year before he arrived won 11 the next year. Think about that for a second; of course there were other secondary reasons why the Colts won nine more games in 2012, but the primary reason was the arrival of Luck. Franchise quarterbacks aren’t easy to find, just ask the Cleveland Browns who have been searching for one since the turn of the century. When you are lucky enough to find one, you better do everything you can to keep him under contract and off the market. That’s why the San Diego Chargers extended Philip Rivers to a massive 4-year $83.25 million with $65 million guaranteed that makes him the highest paid quarterback in terms of guaranteed money.
Is he worth $65 million guaranteed? Probably not. Rivers isn’t the best quarterback in the NFL, as his extension would suggest, and the Chargers will be committing a significant portion of their salary cap space to one player. But that doesn’t matter. What alternative did the Chargers have? Kellen Clemens sure as hell isn’t taking this team anywhere. Rivers has made it abundantly clear he does not want to move his family to Los Angeles; and with the Chargers all but set on moving to Los Angeles, it appeared that Rivers would make good on his threat to boycott the team should they decide to franchise him. What changed? Did Rivers all of a sudden decide he wasn’t opposed to moving to LA? Is he hoping that by extending his contract the Spanos family will commit to San Diego?
Whatever Rivers’ reasoning, this is fantastic news for the fans and the organization. Rivers is still an elite quarterback in the prime of his career, fully capable of winning a super bowl. His toughness can never be questioned, his leadership skills are a given, and he has displayed a level of consistency that puts him among the best quarterbacks year in and year out. No, he’s never had the strongest arm and his throwing mechanics are unorthodox, but his accuracy is among the best in the league. Under the Mike McCoy era in San Diego, Philip Rivers is the reason why the Chargers have consistently competed for a playoff spot. Without him, this is a five-win team. Look at the rest of the roster. The defense is okay, but the front seven leaves a lot to be desired from; there are no Dez Bryant’s or Calvin Johnson’s in their receiving corps; their offensive line was one of the worst in the league last season. Without Rivers this just isn’t a good team.
Finding a franchise quarterback is the hardest thing to get right in the NFL. San Diego is fortunate enough to have one in Philip Rivers. Losing him would have been a disaster. And while paying him $65 million guaranteed hurts, it’s better than starting all over again at quarterback.
This article Extending Philip Rivers a huge relief for San Diego Chargers appeared first on isportsweb by Chris Hui