Previewing the Chargers 2019 quarterbacks
By Blake Atwell
The Chargers have one of the more intriguing quarterback situations in the NFL, as old and new faces return or join the franchise in 2019…
The Chargers’ 2019 quarterback group contains no shortage of storylines.
In his nine NFL seasons, Tyrod Taylor’s dealt with his share of drama. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Ravens and served as Joe Flacco’s backup for four seasons. Taylor earned a ring as a member of Baltimore’s Super Bowl XLVII championship squad.
Buffalo signed Taylor off the free agent market in 2015 and he impressed right away, emerging as the team’s starter. He earned a spot in that season’s Pro Bowl and led the Bills to their first playoffs in 17 years.
Last March, the Buffalo Bills traded 2015 Pro-Bowl quarterback Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland. Three games into the season, Taylor suffered an injury and lost his starting job to number one pick Baker Mayfield. The Chargers are giving Taylor a chance, signing him to a two-year deal this offseason.
Taylor’s arrival in Los Angeles marks a reunion with Bolts head coach Anthony Lynn, who coached him in Buffalo. Taylor played under Lynn while he served as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, associate head coach and interim coach.
Philip Rivers, entering his 16th season as the Bolts’ signal caller, has only been around Taylor for a handful of meetings. Judging from Rivers’ interview with San Diego’s Xtra 1360 this past Thursday, Taylor’s made quite the impression.
“I can just tell how [Taylor] works. I mean, you should see his notebook. It’s unbelievable.”
Inserting Taylor into an already robust quarterbacks group should lend the Chargers a major advantage heading into 2019. With Rivers in the last year of his contract at age 37, Cardale Jones playing on a futures contract and North Dakota State fifth-round draftee Easton Stick earning his first taste of the NFL, competitive juices around the Bolts should be at an all-time high.