Chargers Have 17th-Best Quarterback Situation in the NFL

Each year, Rotoworld’s Patrick Daugherty releases his rankings of the National Football League’s quarterback situations. He takes the relative age, injury history, athletic potential, career situation, etc. into account when compiling his rankings.

The Los Angeles’ Chargers Philip Rivers is a year older, a year closer to retirement, and coming off a season in which he was battered physically and often ineffective due to supporting cast and decision-making. So, with that in mind, it is unsurprising that Daugherty has him falling five spots from 12th to 17th. He writes of the Chargers quarterback situation:

Philip Rivers is still a decent quarterback. He’s also 35, has faded badly down the stretch each of the past three years and leads the NFL in interceptions since 2014 (52). Injuries to his supporting cast deserve some of the blame, but 2016 was arguably the worst season of Rivers’ career. That is not to say it was bad. “Worst” for Rivers is still good for a lot of other quarterbacks. He’s just made it abundantly clear that the downturn is here. The Chargers can still win with Rivers, this year and probably next. But they would be fools not to be thinking of life after the signal caller who has guided them since 2006.

It is difficult to argue too much with Daugherty's description of Rivers’ current status, though the idea that a team with Philip Rivers as its franchise quarterback is in the bottom half of the league in quarterback situation is hard to accept as a someone that has watched his entire career. Needing to win a single game, there are not 16 quarterbacks a reasonable person would choose ahead of Rivers, but at 35 years old with a lot of wear and tear on his body, he does not leave you feeling comfortable about the future of the Chargers at the position. There also is not anyone of note behind him on the depth chart that you can imagine taking the reins once he retires or even if he just gets injured. At some point (probably next offseason), the front office needs to make finding Rivers’ successor a priority.

What do you think? Are the Chargers really in the bottom half of the NFL in QB situation?