Best bets for Chargers' next QB, Rivers' new team
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Philip Rivers' run with the Chargers is over.
Rivers - who made eight Pro Bowls in 16 years with the only franchise he's ever known - and the Chargers have mutually agreed to part ways. Even before Monday's news, oddsmakers were dealing odds on the team's next signal-caller and where Rivers might end up next season.
Here are the odds for each situation, with a few early values to consider ahead of free agency in March:
Chargers' Week 1 starter| QUARTERBACK | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Tyrod Taylor | 3-2 |
| Justin Herbert | 5-1 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 6-1 |
| Tom Brady | 6-1 |
| Teddy Bridgewater | 6-1 |
| Marcus Mariota | 12-1 |
| Jameis Winston | 12-1 |
| Jordan Love | 16-1 |
| Andy Dalton | 18-1 |
| Jake Fromm | 18-1 |
| Ryan Tannehill | 25-1 |
| Dak Prescott | 25-1 |
| Colin Kaepernick | 100-1 |
| Eli Manning | 500-1 |
Tyrod Taylor (3-2)
Taylor is the runaway favorite for a reason: He's the Chargers' current backup and has started 46 career games. In his three years as Buffalo's full-time starter, he posted an above-average QBR during each season - including top-10 numbers in 2015 and 2016.
The 30-year-old quarterback would also be an easy Week 1 starter if Los Angeles decided to draft an heir apparent, meaning bettors could cash even if Taylor is a band-aid solution. Despite short odds, this could be a bet worth making.
Justin Herbert (5-1)
It's easy to make the case for this pick - Herbert is generating a lot of buzz in mock drafts as the Chargers' choice at No. 6. His football IQ and strong frame resemble Rivers and could be a solid long-term fit in L.A.
Here's why it's a bad bet: laying 5-1 odds on who the Chargers will take in the draft is risky enough. A quarterback as raw as Herbert is 50-50 to start Week 1 even if he is L.A.'s pick, especially with Taylor as a ready-made starter, so there's simply no value here or with the other rookies on the board.
Marcus Mariota (12-1)
If you're swinging for value, this is the bet to make. Mariota is one of the best available talents on the market but was miscast in Tennessee as a deep-ball thrower to complement the team's run game. In Los Angeles, he could fire away on quick routes - where he's among the league's best - to the Chargers' array of top receivers.
PFF predicted Mariota to the Chargers earlier this week, so this isn't a blind dart throw at 12-1. There's real value here.
Philip Rivers' next team| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-1 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 4-1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 11-2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 20-1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 20-1 |
| New England Patriots | 33-1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 33-1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
In late January, with rumors swirling about Rivers' future, the quarterback moved his family to Florida. Naturally, speculation ensued about whether Rivers - who was notoriously unwilling to move his family from San Diego to L.A. - was setting up shop near his next team.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora later reported that there was "a lot of buzz" surrounding the Bucs as a landing spot for Rivers, which he reiterated after Monday's news. Bruce Arians' offense would certainly suit the veteran, who's had some of his best years in pass-happy systems.
Indianapolis Colts (3-1)
This was Rivers' predicted landing spot at PFF and among executives polled by ESPN, so there's definitely smoke. Head coach Frank Reich was an assistant with the then-San Diego Chargers from 2013-15, while offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni spent 2013-17 with the franchise, too.
Indy's ceiling is capped with Jacoby Brissett as the team's quarterback. The Colts' stellar offensive line could help revitalize Rivers, who saw the seventh-most dropbacks under pressure (225) and recorded the 27th-best passer rating in that spot (71.7).
New England Patriots (33-1)
This isn't as crazy as it sounds. If New England doesn't want to pay $30 million for an aging quarterback, why not pay half of that for comparable production? Last year, Rivers finished with a similar QBR (48.6) as Tom Brady (53.7), and he could allow coach Bill Belichick to prove himself post-Brady without restructuring the offense. At 33-1, it's at least worth considering.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.
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