Chargers expected to begin contract talks with Philip Rivers

Prior to the 2015 season, the Los Angeles Chargers and future Hall of Fame quarterback Philip Rivers agreed to a four-year, $83.5 million contract extension that will expire after next season.

Rivers, who is 37 years of age, has stated that he intends to play through at least the 2020 season as he has expressed a desire to still be quarterbacking the team when they move into the Los Angeles Rams’ new stadium. And Tom Telesco recently told ESPN’s Eric Williams that “I can tell you he’s not going anywhere, so he’s going to be here.” So, that means an extension is in the cards this offseason.

Rivers is coming off one of his finest seasons as a professional. He passed for 4,308 yards and 32 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions while completing 68.3% of his passes. He engineered three 4th quarter comebacks, two of which were performances no Chargers fan is likely to forget. He also finished 3rd in the NFL in both Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement and Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. And he was elected to his 8th Pro Bowl, though he will not play in the game.

He is still by any valid measure one of the very best quarterbacks in the National Football League, and it’s great news for Chargers fans that their team’s general manager seems intent on keeping him in lightning bolts for the remainder of his career. Rivers has $11 million in base salary and will count $23 million against the cap under his current deal, so it will be interesting to see if an extension will also involve a restructure that might provide some cap relief.