Indianapolis Colts Sign Phillip Rivers to One-Year Deal
One day after announcing they traded the 13th overall pick in this year's draft to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for defensive tackle, DeForrest Buckner, the Indianapolis Colts add another big name to the roster with the announcement they have come to an agreement with former San Diego Chargers starting quarterback, Phillip Rivers.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport was the first to break the news on Twitter Tuesday afternoon:
Rivers, who was part of a draft day trade involving the New York Giants and Eli Manning in 2004, took over as the Chargers starting quarterback in 2006, starting every regular season game until he and the team decided to part ways shortly after the conclusion of the season. Over those 14 seasons, he threw for 59,123 yards, 396 touchdowns, and 197 interceptions.
The question now turns to what the team will do about Jacoby Brissett who was thrust into starting position after the retirement of Andrew Luck a couple of weeks before the start of last season. I'm no expert, and this is purely my opinion, but you don't throw a guy "roughly $25 million" as Rapoport is reporting, to be second string.
My guess is the team will do what teams do and say there will be a competition for the starting spot once offseason programs are allowed to begin, and whoever they feel is the best man for the job will get the nod, but I'd bet at least a cool five bucks (cut me some slack, I work in radio) that Rivers will be the guy under center when the regular season kicks off.
As a Colts fan, I'm a bit torn on this. I'll admit, I have never been a fan of Phillip Rivers. That is likely due to the fact that in the nine times he's faced the Colts as the Chargers starting QB, he's won seven of those games. One of those games being the 2007 playoffs. The Colts were coming off their Super Bowl Championship run the previous year and were 13-3 going into what I and other fans were hoping to be, at the very least, another Super Bowl appearance. But that didn't happen thanks to Rivers and his crew.
Was that all Rivers' fault, no. The Colts had a knack for having great regular seasons only to sputter and fall in the playoffs during Manning's 14 year run more times than I care to remember, but still there's always been something about Rivers even when he wasn't playing the Colts that has always rubbed me the wrong way. He has a cockiness to him, and seems to whine a lot when things don't go his way, and those facial expressions that go with them, don't get me started. A friend of mine once said he had a "punchable face," and that summed it up perfectly.
I'm not sold on this new partnership, and I don't think the addition of Rivers will increase the team's chance at a Super Bowl run, but when the season kicks off, I'll be watching every game (and attending one if I can), and cheering for the horseshoe because that's what fans do whoever the quarterback is.
[Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter]