It was very interesting to see that the Indianapolis Colts were able to lock up Philip Rivers for next season, I think it’s an interesting move that gives the Colts some security for next season, but they still have questions to answer. Don’t get me wrong, Rivers is a proven veteran talent who did some great things with the Los Angeles Chargers, he’s going to be their best all-time quarterback for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, his efforts never culminated in a Super Bowl win for the Chargers fanbase.
He was a decent presence last season throwing for over 4,000 yards last season, however, 23 touchdowns to 20 interceptions will raise some questions about consistency. I think Indianapolis is a fresh start for Rivers, who should be able to squeeze out a solid 3-4 years with this team in the hopes that he can walk away from the game as a Super Bowl champion.
While I do think Rivers is a clear upgrade over Jacoby Brissett, unless they immediately move Brissett or give him a genuine chance to compete for the starting job, I think they’re wasting his time. Brissett negotiated his own two-year, $30 million deal with the Colts before last season, and in my mind, if any quarterback can independently negotiate their own contract, I know they’re more than adequate to command an offense.
Brisset’s numbers from last season aren’t bad for a guy who had to adjust pretty fast after Andrew Luck decided to jump ship out of nowhere just before the season began. I understand the 2021 free agent quarterback market isn’t looking too appealing. So unless the Colts are looking to draft a long term protege behind Rivers in this year’s upcoming draft, they need to figure out whether they want to utilize Brissett as a backup plan if Rivers gets hurt or retire after next season, or utilize him as trade capital. I don’t know about the rest of the Colts fanbase but while I agree DeForest Buckner is a hell of a player, I don’t think he was worth our 13th pick that could’ve gone towards an elite talent at quarterback or one of the mighty electric wide receivers in the upcoming draft class.
Don’t get me wrong Philip Rivers is working with a talented offensive line and running back in Marlon Mack, but T.Y Hilton can’t continue to be the Colts top target for much longer, he’s going to need some help soon. At the end of the day, as I mentioned this is a solid move in the short-term for the Colts, they’ll hopefully be able to squeeze out a few more good years from Rivers, and mold into another playoff contender after a disappointing 2019 campaign.
