PODCAST: Time to trade Philip Rivers?

I’ve seen a few people on Twitter these days begging for the Los Angeles Chargers to trade QB Philip Rivers so that he can end his career with more dignity, and more of a shot at making the playoffs, than he currently has playing for this 0-3 team and their soccer stadium.

I don’t know that I particularly agree with any of that, but I do think it would be wise for the team to tank (they’re not catching anyone in this division) for a shot at getting Los Angeles natives and current L.A. QBs Sam Darnold (USC) or Josh Rosen (UCLA). So, I went digging through the NFL rules and cap space to see if it were possible to trade Rivers and where might be able/interested in acquiring him.

Spoiler alert: The only team that might pull that trigger is the Minnesota Vikings, if Sam Bradford is out for the year and Case Keenum starts playing poorly and Teddy Bridgewater is nowhere near returning. Might be a long shot.

Anyway, it a fun thought experiment.

Less fun was comparing the identity of the Chargers, old and injury-prone, to that of the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are led by a young coach, young QB, young RB, and young defensive stud. They also score a ton of points and play fun games, and have a winning record. Also, in typical L.A. fashion, the Rams think they’re above the “Fight for L.A.” that the Chargers are trying to wage against them. Maybe they are.