One of the more pervasive draft rumors this offseason centered around San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and the Tennessee Titans’ No. 2-overall pick. There was extensive chatter that the Chargers had interest in swapping Rivers for the No. 2 pick in order to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
These rumors were fueled, in part, by Rivers’ comments earlier this month about whether or not he is seeking a contract extension with the Chargers. Rivers’ current deal expires after this season. Rivers, via U-T San Diego‘s Kevin Acee, said “What I can control and all I know as of today, I am signed up for one more year. I guess things could change, but with all the uncertainty in many aspects, I don’t see it changing before camp gets here, and when camp gets here I’m even more certain to play it out.”
Rivers cited the potential that the Chargers move from San Diego to Los Angeles next year as one factor prohibiting him from entertaining a contract extension at this time:
What we’ve established here with my growing family is hard to recreate. It’s hard to up and recreate that. I know that moves are part of life,” Rivers said. “But that certainly is fair to say that [not being sold on moving to Los Angeles] is part of it. The good thing is I’m not under contract in a year where we’d potentially be in Los Angeles.
While Rivers has no interest in moving to Los Angeles, that does not mean that his time with the Chargers is done. He just wants to see what happens with any potential move before making a decision about his future, something which is well within his right.
Courtesy of USA Today Sports: Rivers is likely staying in California.
And it does not appear that he’ll be going to the Titans this year. The MMQB.com’s Peter King wrote on Monday that he doesn’t think the Chargers will try to trade Rivers, though he says this isn’t based on anything he’s been specifically told but rather…
Just a gut feeling after lots of time calling around over the weekend.” He does think the Chargers and Titans will discuss their options, but “as I’ve written all along, San Diego definitely does not want to trade Rivers.
He also noted that the Titans may want more than just Rivers for the No. 2 pick in the draft. And King himself would not take that trade, citing that “Rivers is a sure thing, for three to five years anyway. Marcus Mariota is 12 years younger, but is not a sure thing.”
Now, it appears the Titans are back to being front-runners for Mariota’s services. Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean believes that Mariota is the most likely choice when the Titans make their pick on Thursday.
#Titans top 3 scenarios 3 days b4 draft:
1 Trade 4 Rivers (up 2 SD)
2 Pick Mariota/Winston
3 Get haul n trade (& stick w Mett)
Most likely-2— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) April 27, 2015
NFL Network’s Albert Breer has also reported that the Titans “are at a point where they’d feel good taking Mariota at 2.”
Said it on Friday, my belief is the Titans are at a point where they'd feel good taking Mariota at 2. We'll see if someone blows them away.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 27, 2015
With the draft just days away, it appears that the Chargers will have Rivers in the fold for at least one more season while the Titans get a new face at quarterback in Mariota. Mariota has long seemed like the logical choice for the Titans, who have Zach Mettenberger and little else when it comes to starting-caliber quarterbacks. The Rivers rumors threw a temporary wrench into that logic, but with Rivers likely staying put there’s no reason for the Titans to let Mariota slip past them in Round 1.
Photo: USA Today Sports