Another veteran quarterback has entered free agency.
Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers agreed to mutually part ways, the team announced Monday afternoon. The 38-year-old will enter free agency after 14 seasons with the Chargers, where he had 224 consecutive starts.
“After stepping back a bit from last season, we reconnected with Philip and his representatives to look at how 2019 played out, assess our future goals, evaluate the current state of the roster and see if there was a path forward that made sense for both parties,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said in a statement. “As we talked through various scenarios, it became apparent that it would be best for Philip and the Chargers to turn the page on what has truly been a remarkable run.”
New England Patriots fans can’t forget the 2007 divisional round when Rivers tore his ACL but continued to play. The Patriots defeated the Chargers 21-12, but Rivers’ performance was nothing but admirable in the eyes of New England.
Philip Rivers was the #Chargers starting QB for 14 seasons and never missed a game during that stretch. 224 consecutive starts.
He tore his ACL in the '07 Divisional Round and still played in the Championship Game vs. the #Patriots.
A true competitor.pic.twitter.com/fTS6zlvDyM
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) February 10, 2020
With the Chargers losing Rivers, there’s some question as to how this could impact Tom Brady’s long-awaited free agency decision. However, the Cowboys have been the main focus of the saga as of late.
Rivers, like Brady, has spent his entire NFL career with the same team. During that time, Rivers made eight Pro Bowls, threw for more than 4,500 yards five times and has a starting record of 123-101 in regular-season play.
NFL free agency will officially begin March 18.
