Los Angeles Chargers: 2019 will not be Philip Rivers’ last run

The Los Angeles Chargers head into the 2019 season with one of the most complete teams in the NFL and a quarterback that needs a Super Bowl ring.

Philip Rivers has played on a lot of mediocre teams during his tenure as the starting quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers. While Rivers has not been perfect, he oftentimes has been stuck with incomplete rosters that lead to painful results for both the quarterback and the fans.

Last year was not one of those years as for the first time truly in this decade (despite making the playoffs earlier in the decade) the Los Angeles Chargers had a team that could have legitimately won the Super Bowl.

While that obviously was not the case as the team was out game planned by the New England Patriots,  it did not take away from the fact that the Chargers were arguably the most talented team, top to bottom, in the AFC last year.

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The Kansas City Chiefs might have something to say about that but because of the Chiefs’ defense, the edge should go to the Chargers.

There was a weird narrative during the Chargers’ run that did not really make sense, though. That narrative being that 2018 could have been Rivers last chance at a Super Bowl, that the Chargers finally got him a team good enough to win it all and this was the year to do it.

While Rivers career certainly is in its closing chapter, that narrative did not really make sense with him having one more year on his contract. In 2019, though, that narrative is going to be extremely strong as there is a chance that he could retire after the year or sign with a different team.

If the Los Angeles Chargers were to win the Super Bowl then I would not be surprised whatsoever if Rivers decided to call it quits on an impressive, underrated, career. However, if the Chargers do not get that ultimate prize, it is very hard to see Rivers walk away.

Rivers has been very tongue and cheek about his retirement and has let it be known that there is a possibility that this is his last season. And while he might not want to play until he is 45 like Tom Brady, Rivers will be turning 38 this December and could at least play two more seasons until he is 40.

The biggest reason why this is not Rivers’ last chance at a Super Bowl, however, is the fact that this is not the last year of the team’s chances to contend. This Chargers team is very young and has the roster to be a Super Bowl contender for the next three years.

Rivers is not going to pass on that opportunity, an opportunity he waited most of his career for after early success. There is not a chance in the world that Rivers knowingly retires from a Super Bowl-caliber team that likely would have gotten pretty close to winning it all if they don’t.

And as long as he is still producing, which he showed no signs of slowing down last year in one of the best years of his career, then the Los Angeles Chargers are going to be just as interested as well.

2019 will not be Rivers’ last hoorah and it will not be the last year of relevancy before the Chargers fall back into mediocrity.