Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has indicated that the starters will not see much of the field during the preseason. It appears that notion is especially true for quarterback Philip Rivers.
Lynn admitted he plans to take a page out of the Los Angeles Rams' book by limiting his starters during the preseason. According to Logan Reardon of NFL.com, the primary goal is to keep Rivers as healthy as possible for the 2019 NFL season:
“When you talk about reps, he's always been one of the hardest working guys on the team,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. “When he's out there, he works hard. That's what makes him one of the best — his preparation. He's going to prepare the same, but we just want to take some of the physical toll off of him.
Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt added that while their attempts may be met with some resistance from Rivers, they have already seen the benefits of it from last season.
“I think he wants to do everything,” offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. “But last year we did a good bit of [limiting him] during training camp and we’ll probably do the same this year. He started off the season hot last year and a lot of that was part of the plan.”
The plan to keep Rivers away from any extra physical activity during the offseason is certainly understandable. At this point in his career, there are few advantages that come from giving him play in games that do not matter. Not only will it give him more opportunities to rest up, but it will also allow the Chargers to get more reps for some of the other players on offense
The coaching staff has indicated that Rivers is still not entirely on board with the prospect of taking time off every now and then before the regular season starts. He is notorious for being one of the most competitive players in the NFL. Regardless, the veteran has made it clear that he would like to play well into his mid-40s. He will need to start taking such preventative measures now if he hopes to see his goal come to fruition.
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