Los Angeles Chargers: Is Philip Rivers the next Dan Marino?
To be mentioned with a great is an unbelievable honor but what if it’s for the wrong reasons? This is the case when discussing Philip Rivers. Rivers is an elite QB for the Los Angeles Chargers but for all his stats he has never won the one game that will take him out from under the shadow of Eli Manning or Ben Roethlisberger. To be fair, all the pressure and blame cannot be thrown upon his shoulders alone.
Rivers has performed, under pressure, with talent and without but much like Dan Marino before him, he gets an A for effort but fails where it matters most. Marino, seen as one of the greatest QBs in the history of the NFL ranks near the top of every passing category but still has no Super Bowl ring to match, but he has played in one. Rivers has not had the luxury to get that close but he still has time. But will he have to leave the Chargers to get that shot?
Will he have to leave the Chargers to get that shot?
What makes Rivers so special is the amount of respect he doesn’t get. In 12 years as a starter he has never missed a single game, passed for 47,000+ yards, 323 TDs, but the eye-catcher is his 64% completion percentage with ranks him over greats like Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Marino, not to mention Eli and Big Ben. Those alone should earn him elite status and like Marino, he still does not get the nod when mentioned with today’s players. As great as Marino was, he was often overshadowed by the likes of Joe Montana and John Elway.
Rivers is in a dogfight with Father Time and will have at least another 3-4 productive years in the league. If the Charges can somehow team him with capable, skilled players, we could see Rivers challenge most of the passing records in history. Last season was another productive year for him as he tossed 33 TDs but when you’re placed with a swinging door of playmakers, due to injuries or inconsistency, it’s hard to gain any rhythm or momentum as a team.
Rivers just may be the best QB that you’ve never paid attention to and if he was to leave the game being compared to Marino, that’s nothing to hang his head over.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
