Las Vegas Raiders should stay far away from Philip Rivers
By Brad Weiss
With news that Philip Rivers may be ready to come out of retirement, the Las Vegas Raiders need to stay far away from the former AFC West quarterback.
On Monday, news came down that former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had found a new home, signing a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. For Carr, it seems like New Orleans was always the next destination, as he met with them after the 2022 NFL season, and has a history with head coach Dennis Allen.
Now, the Raiders go into free agency and draft season with a huge hole at quarterback, as Carr has manned the position for the last nine seasons. Whether they go the free agency route or draft a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft is still up in the air, but one option is one they should stay far away from.
Also on Monday, former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was back in the news for a reason that came as a bit of a shock. According to Dov Kleiman, Rivers expressed a desire to return to the NFL, even reaching out to the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins at the end of last season.
While Rivers has had some incredible moments against the Raiders franchise, he is certainly not a route they should go this offseason, especially considering he has been out of the league for two full seasons. There are plenty of other options for Las Vegas this offseason, including some stopgap veterans, a group Rivers should not be included in.
Raiders still have a gaping hole at quarterback
With Carr gone, and Jarrett Stidham a free agent, Las Vegas only has Chase Garbers on their roster in terms of the quarterback position. That has led to them being rumored to several different signal-callers this offseason, so it would not be crazy for the media heads to start predicting Rivers making a return to the AFC West in the Silver and Black.
The 2023 QB class had an outstanding combine, and it is clear that there is enough top talent for David Ziegler and his staff to take a swing at one of them this draft season. However, they also have to bring in a veteran to help the young quarterback along, a veteran that should not be Philip Rivers.