Chargers: 3 players we need to see more of before season ends
By Travis Wakeman
Tyrod Taylor
There is a very real chance that Taylor could be the team’s starting quarterback next season. If that is the case, the team should get a good, long look at him during this season.
Many felt the move to sign Taylor during the free-agent signing period didn’t make much sense. Rivers has been a steady constant for the team and signing a backup of Taylor’s caliber, one with plenty of starting experience in the league, seemed a head-scratching move.
But it only seemed that way if you looked at the 2019 season. Going forward, it could make a lot of sense.
Rivers is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and just turned 38 years old. Despite his big game against the Jaguars, his play has left much to be desired this season.
Having said that, it would be a sad day for Chargers fans to see any other player playing the quarterback position than Rivers. After all, No. 17 has given everything of himself to the franchise. The front office would certainly need to weigh that, but it is a business at the end of the day.
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Rivers should not be benched the way Eli Manning was a couple of years ago. Perhaps in the season finale, Rivers starts the game so that his consecutive games started streak stays intact and then Taylor comes in soon after.
That would be an indication that the Chargers may be looking at moving on from Rivers, so it’s tough to see that happening. It’s also tough to imagine the team signing Taylor to be nothing more than a backup who will never see the field because of Rivers’ consistency in being available to play.
It will be interesting to see this all unfold. But if the team can move on from Rivers, as hard as that may be, and plug in a younger, much more mobile option in Taylor, it can then focus on using its draft picks on other areas, such as the offensive line and wide receiver.
And that idea of drafting a quarterback in the first round can be shelved for a while.