Chargers GM wanted 'classy' break with Rivers
Philip Rivers has been synonymous with the Chargers for the past 16 years, regardless of which city in California the AFC West club has called home.
The strong connection between the veteran quarterback and the franchise made Chargers general manager Tom Telesco's decision to allow Rivers to hit the open market a difficult one to navigate.
Telesco said Monday that his top priority while cutting ties with Rivers was to make sure the end of their relationship was as painless as possible.
"Once we saw the way this was heading, it was in the forefront of my mind," Telesco said, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. "I mean, he's an icon for the organization and he's done so much here. I wanted to make sure everything was done as respectfully and classy as possible."
By announcing the team's intention not to re-sign Rivers more than a month before free agency, the GM gifted the signal-caller time to evaluate his options.
The 38-year-old is the Chargers' all-time leader in wins, passing yards, and touchdown passes.
Telesco admitted it's impossible to remove emotions when dealing with a player who's been so integral to the team's structure, but he said those sentiments can't get in the way of making the most logical long-term move.
"It's really hard, because he's the starting quarterback, which is the most important position on the field, and he's been here for 16 years, and he's played at a high, high level for a long, long time," Telesco said. "You're talking about a legend as a player here, a legend as a teammate, he's a legend as a parent, I mean, he's done so much for this organization. And it's natural when players go on the field and play with the passion he does, every game, every practice, that there are emotions involved from a front-office standpoint, too.
"You also have to look: What's best for the whole organization, what's best for the football team both in 2020 and beyond that? But no, it's hard. You spend a lot of time with these players. And obviously the players that are here a long time, you get attached to them."
Rivers has said he intends to keep playing, and he'll join an unusually stacked free-agent group of quarterbacks that could also include Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jameis Winston.
The Chargers, meanwhile, will likely be in the market for a new quarterback in either the draft, where they hold the sixth overall pick, or in free agency. Los Angeles currently has former Buffalo Bills starter Tyrod Taylor and former fifth-round pick Easton Stick on its roster.
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