Philadelphia Eagles: Is Philip Rivers worth exploring as a backup option?

If the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to add a veteran backup quarterback for the 2020 season, Philip Rivers could end up being available.

Even though the Philadelphia Eagles would never consider starting Philip Rivers over Carson Wentz for obvious reasons, would the NFC East champions ever consider bringing the veteran on board for a backup role?

On Monday, one of the top stories in the NFL involved the news surrounding the plans of the Los Angeles Chargers and how the team appears to be moving on from Rivers as their quarterback, despite the veteran spending the last 16 years with the team.

Nothing is set in stone at the moment, but with Rivers recently moving his family out of California to Florida, early signs point to the report about the Chargers moving on being accurate.

Now, the question becomes which team Rivers could end up playing for during the 2020 season if his time in Los Angeles is officially up, whether it happens to be as a starter or simply a backup quarterback.

Since Rivers just recently turned 38 in December, chances are he’s going to want to join a legitimate contender this late in his career, meaning a backup role seems more likely if this were to happen.

With Josh McCown most likely heading towards retirement again along with Nate Sudfeld set to hit free agency, Philadelphia is expected to explore all backup options this offseason to make sure they have the proper insurance behind Wentz for the 2020 season.

Adding Rivers to the roster may sound like a long shot at the moment if he were to become available, and the asking price could end up being out of Philadelphia’s range, but his previous experience alone making this an intriguing option.

January’s playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks is the perfect example of how teams like the Eagles never know when a reliable backup quarterback may be needed. And while the goal would obviously be Rivers never sees the field in meaningful games, just having the insurance in case something were to happen to Wentz will make Philadelphia feel better.

Rivers adjusting to a backup role would be far from easy since the veteran has started every game for the Chargers dating back to the 2006 season, but at least if he were to join a strong NFC contender in the Eagles, this could be worth it if the adjustment resulted in a Super Bowl.