Chargers select another veteran to back up Philip Rivers by signing Tyrod Taylor
By Travis Wakeman
When will the Los Angeles Chargers draft the quarterback of the future? When will they find the successor to Philip Rivers?
We hear this every year and every year, the Chargers determine that a veteran backup is better than a rookie prospect. That will be the case again in 2019 as the team has agreed to a two-year deal with veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Source: The #Chargers agreed to terms with QB Tyrod Taylor on a 2-year deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2019
While other teams around the league are throwing money around at the big names, Tom Telesco continues to operate quietly, choosing experience and leadership over potential and hype.
This is a curious move for the Chargers and for Taylor, particularly considering that the Miami Dolphins were linked to Taylor as their potential starting quarterback next season. At the same time, Taylor may not want to be the incumbent again, holding the down the spot in front of a rookie the team sees as its future.
That happened to him last year in Cleveland.
Taylor has spent most of his career as a backup for the Baltimore Ravens and Browns. He was given a chance to start for the Buffalo Bills and led them to a Wild Card berth in 2017. In Los Angeles. he goes to a team that hasn’t had another quarterback aside from Rivers start a game since the beginning of the 2006 season.
This has become the model for the Chargers. It’s hard to blame them, as Rivers never misses a snap, let alone a game. In recent years, Kellen Clemens and Geno Smith have been the backups to Rivers and now, Taylor will join that list.
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For his career, Taylor has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 9.529 yards passing. He has also thrown 53 touchdowns and just 20 interceptions. Known for his mobility, he’s also rushed for over 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He was benched early in the 2018 season in favor of Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick.
This likely means that Smith and Cardale Jones will be looking for employment elsewhere next season. It also likely takes the Chargers out of the running for a quarterback in the early rounds of the upcoming draft.
Taylor is still just 29 years old and in Rivers, the Chargers could see the end approaching. It’s entirely possible that Telesco sees Taylor as the guy who could someday take the reigns.