Chargers: Five benefits of bringing back Philip Rivers

Chargers benefit No. 2: Even after a down season, fans love him

The Chargers will have a fraction of fans who will no longer support the team when No. 17 leaves, likely those who reside in San Diego and have only one tie remaining between them and the organization.

Regardless of personal feelings towards the owners, one thing stays the same: Fans love Philip Rivers. Forget the stats, forget the lack of championships (it’s hard); this is who he is:

It was an absolute honor to spend nearly every day for seven years with this man….and it’s fairly obvious to me what he plans to do in 2020.

pic.twitter.com/ljLMi12KPa

— Ricky Henne (@RickyHenne) December 29, 2019

Chargers benefit No. 1: Mentoring the rookie quarterback

Let’s say the Chargers do in fact take that rookie quarterback-of-the-future at No. 6 overall. Is anyone a better peer mentor than Rivers?

He’s not going to show the rookie how to run the football, and he’s certainly not going to be teaching him a new release. But, mentally, he’s got all the experience in the world to help out the young player. He’s seen coaching changes, management changes, city switches, winning seasons, losing seasons, unfortunate injuries, and about every defense a team can throw at him. None of the quarterbacks likely available for the Chargers to select are finished products; in fact, far from it. Neither Tagovailoa nor Herbert should start immediately, and it would benefit them immensely to have Rivers guiding them along the way.