Philip Rivers could be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers target in 2020
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could wind up moving on from Jameis Winston this offseason, and Philip Rivers could be an option to replace him.
Quarterback rumors are the best rumors, and the thought of Philip Rivers playing on another NFL team is certainly a wild one as we head into the 2020 NFL offseason.
A separation between Rivers and the Chargers has seemed almost inevitable all year, yet hearing about him potentially joining another NFL team feels extra odd.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that Rivers could be bound for Tampa Bay in 2020 as the Buccaneers try to figure out what to do for the long term at the quarterback position.
How crazy would this fit be?
The Buccaneers didn’t seem very eager to hand out a ton of money to Jameis Winston, their former number one pick and a polarizing talent who is coming off of a 33 touchdown, 30 interception season.
That kind of interception rate can’t be tolerated and it might be best if Winston relocates as well, but how much does Rivers upgrade the Bucs’ current situation? Would signing Rivers in free agency put this team in the market for a first-round quarterback, or do they simply kick the can down the road a year?
A pairing of Rivers and someone like Jacob Eason could make sense for the Buccaneers, especially if they could get Eason in the second round. His arm strength and ability to push the ball downfield would be ideal in Arians’ offense, and Rivers could be a nice interim option for them despite the fact that he’s not exactly elevated the Chargers in recent years.
Rivers is a veteran and excellent team leader, and there’s no doubt about the fact that he plays with tremendous passion. Still, he’s coming off of a 23 touchdown, 20 interception season.
How would the Bucs justify this swap?
Financially, it may make more sense to sign a guy like Rivers, who will probably command less of a commitment than Winston will on the open market. Rivers could also be a ‘glue’ guy for the Bucs and may work better with Arians, but that’s more of a guess than anything we can actually know for sure.
Rivers did move his family to the state of Florida to be closer to the rest of his family in Alabama. It would make sense for him to finish out his career in the southeast, and the Bucs are certainly in the market.
This could work, and maybe a change of scenery and dynamic weapons like the Bucs have would be good for Rivers.