Chargers' Philip Rivers Wants to Play Past 16th Season

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

While Philip Rivers's contract is up at the end of 2019, he does not want his 16th NFL season to be his last. 

"I'm capable enough physically and mentally, there's no question," Rivers said after the Chargers' Week 16 loss to the Oakland Raiders. "Yes, I do want to play football. I do, and that's how I feel deep down as I stand here."

Rivers believes he can play another season in the NFL, but he would have to approach another opportunity with some consideration for his personal life. 

"There's a lot of factors," Rivers said. "There's a personal side and family side to mine. I'm going to have a daughter in college as well, too. So time is ticking, and I've got a sixth-grade son that I've got to get ready to coach at some point, so there's all kinds of factors."

Rivers has spent his entire NFL career with the Chargers and recently admitted his future with the franchise is uncertain. The 38-year-old's four-year, $83.25 million contract is almost up, but that hasn't stopped the veteran quarterback from wanting to extend his time in the league and knowing he has the tools to do so. 

"I know I can still do it, and I know I can still do it at a high enough level for us to win," Rivers said. "I have not done it well enough this year, but I still do love to play, and love to lead these guys and this team. It's been an array of things that have compounded, to keep us from winning enough games to advance into the tournament."

The Chargers hold a 5-10 record this season, while Rivers has recorded 18 interceptions and 24 turnovers. Despite the numbers, the quarterback believes criticism of his regression is inaccurate. 

"It's probably human nature when you're 38 and you throw some interceptions in games and they don't go the way you want them to, that it can become, and that's what people say: 'You can't make the throw you used to make' or 'You can't do this' -- arm strength and all of that," Rivers said. "And just none of that is true. I've made some throws this year that have been as good as throws that I've made in any years of my career, but I'm not here to sell that. So physically and what I'm able to do is just what I was able to do last year when we were rolling and having one of our best years. Even in some of these games the last few weeks, we've had some really good plays offensively.

"But that doesn't mean that that's good enough for someone to want you to keep playing, because you have to maintain that consistency throughout games and do enough to win football games, which we haven't done, and I haven't done well enough this year."

When asked if he sees a similar farewell for him with the Chargers as Eli Manning had with the Giants, Rivers believes the situation is different and that he has more left in the tank.

"He's almost a year removed from this moment," Rivers said. "He was coming back this year, and then you obviously had the draft and how that thing played out, and he handled it like a pro. So I think this is a completely different situation. I just don't think I'm done playing."

The Chargers play their final game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 29.