Chargers coach Anthony Lynn won't 'entertain' benching QB Philip Rivers right now
Quarterback Philip Rivers had a rough game for the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night. He threw four picks, and the final interception was particularly heartbreaking. With the Chargers down 24-17 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rivers threw a pick in the end zone with just 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, ending any chance they had to tie or win the game.
If this was a one-game occurrence, it could be seen as an anomaly. But Rivers, who will turn 38 in December, threw three interceptions in the previous week, and has thrown 14 total so far this season. That’s the second-highest total in the NFL, behind only Jameis Winston who has 18. It’s also more interceptions than he threw in 2017 and 2018, and he’s nearly on pace to match his season-high interception total — he threw 21 in 2016.
Head coach Anthony Lynn has definitely noticed what’s going on with Rivers, but at this point he won’t even discuss benching the Chargers’ longtime QB.
“I’m not going to entertain that right now,” Lynn said to the Orange County Register on Tuesday. “I’m going to evaluate everything, and right now Philip Rivers is our starting quarterback. But I’m not going to single one position out. I’m looking at everybody. We’re 4-7. Everybody can be doing something better.”
Lynn is going to be looking at everyone on the team, but that’s not exactly a vote of confidence for Rivers.
Rivers isn’t the only thing that’s contributed to the Chargers’ disappointing 4-7 record, but he hasn’t helped. The last two losses were especially bad, with Rivers looking his age and almost singlehandedly taking Los Angeles out of playoff contention.
The Chargers have their bye week coming up, which should give Lynn more than enough time to evaluate Rivers and the rest of the team. It doesn’t seem likely that Lynn would bench Rivers, but at 37 and with 16 years in the NFL, you have to wonder if Rivers has anything else to give.
More from Yahoo Sports:
