Getty Free agent QB Philip Rivers with Jon Gruden.
As if the idea of Tom Brady playing for the Las Vegas Raiders wasn’t weird enough, imagine former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in the silver and black. He’s always hated the Raiders and the Raiders have always hated him. Despite that, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Las Vegas could be interested in adding him.
“I would also not rule out the Raiders if they are looking for a veteran quarterback,” Rapoport said on Wednesday. “Tom Brady has been floated around by some. I would expect them to take a look at Rivers, as well.”
It’s hard to tell if Rapoport is speculating or he’s actually hearing the Raiders might have an interest. Regardless, it’s certainly a head-turning idea as Rivers has spent his entire career hating the team.
This Would Make Absolutely No Sense Whatsoever
Rapoport is one of most respected NFL reporters around, so if he’s reporting something, there’s likely some truth to it. However, the Raiders adding Rivers makes zero sense. It’s fine if the team isn’t sold on Carr and thinks that a change is necessary, but you’re going to replace him with a quarterback that he beat/outplayed in two matchups last season?
Tom Brady is one thing. He didn’t have a bad year with minimal talent around him on offense and he’s arguably the greatest quarterback ever. Philip Rivers had a bad year with one of the best groups of receivers in the NFL. Yes, his offensive line was very bad, but his numbers should’ve been better considering the elite talent he had to throw to.
It’s true that Rivers has had some really strong years in the past, but he is no longer better than Derek Carr and there’s no rational person who should argue otherwise. Seeing Rivers in the silver and black would be a nightmare for the fan base and that’s not what you want heading into your first year in a new city. It’s hard to imagine this move actually happens.
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Jon Gruden Praised Rivers During the Season
The only reason to believe that the Raiders could look into Rivers is because of some of the nice things head coach Jon Gruden has said about him in the past.
“He’s one of the premier quarterbacks in the league and one of the great gameday competitors,” said Gruden said back in December. “One of the all-time trash talkers ever. PG trash talk too. It’s a credit to him. But I think he’s great for football. I think he’s great for the game and we know we’re going to get a great, great performance from him as the season is winding down. And he remembers… a lot about this rivalry, too.”
Gruden has probably leveled praise at every quarterback in the NFL at some point, so it’s hard to read too much into his previous comments. There’s plenty of proof to suggest that Gruden likes to bring in veteran quarterbacks to run his offense. While that worked for him in the past, Rivers is not the guy he should look at. He may not be completely washed up yet and he could be a fit for a team like the Colts, but he makes little sense for a young team like the Raiders have.
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