There are three quarterbacks from the 2004 NFL Draft that are still starting under center for their respective teams. Among them, Philip Rivers of the Los Angeles Chargers may have the best shot at making the Super Bowl.
The Chargers have skilled players at just about every position, and this may be the best defense that they've had in recent memory. The offense is also hoping to get Melvin Gordon back as the Pro-Bowl running back is holding out in hopes to receive a new contract.
Despite all of that, Rivers is entering his 16th season in the NFL and has his sights on making another playoff run. Last season, Rivers met up with the New England Patriots once again in the AFC Divisional Round.
The result was the same as in prior seasons as Rivers has had a tough time taking down Goliath (the New England Patriots. Over the course of his career, Rivers is 1-5 against the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
Aside from all of that, at 37-years old, is Rivers a viable option at quarterback in fantasy football this year? To figure that out, let's try to pinpoint what Rivers' numbers could look like in 2019.
In 2018, Rivers led the Chargers to a 12-4 record by throwing for 4,308 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Those numbers also contributed to Rivers totaling 285 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues. That put him as the 11th-highest scoring quarterback in fantasy football.
The veteran quarterback may not be able to take down Tom Brady on the football field, but in 2018, Rivers outscored the Patriots signal-caller in fantasy football. That's a possibility once again in 2019.
Over the course of his career, passing yards have not been hard to come by for Rivers—especially in the last six seasons. In the past six seasons, Rivers has thrown for at least 4,200 yards through the air.
It's safe to say that Rivers will be able to do so for the seventh year in a row. With that being said, Rivers will throw for at least 4,500 yards in 2019.
The Los Angeles Rams aren't the only team in Los Angeles that can get it into the end zone. Last year, Rivers tallied 32 touchdown passes en route to another stellar season.
His 32 touchdown passes gave him his sixth season in his career where he had over 30 passing touchdowns. Can he do it again in the upcoming season? Why can't he?
This offseason, the Chargers lost Tyrell Williams, but the offense still is full of playmakers. Of course, Keenan Allen has been one of the league's most consistent pass-catchers. Plus, Mike Williams is about to break out in 2019 with more opportunities.
There's a question mark surrounding the running back position with Gordon holding out, but they have some guys to step in. Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson showed their worth when they were asked to fill in for Gordon in 2018.
In his 16th season, Rivers has a decent chance at throwing for 34 touchdowns in 2019. That would tie his current career-high in passing touchdowns.
Finally, we've come upon the turnovers, and it's almost a guarantee that Rivers will have double-digit interceptions. The Chargers franchise quarterback has thrown at least 10 interceptions in nine straight seasons. You tend to expect interceptions from quarterbacks like Rivers who are labeled as gunslingers.
The thing that makes Rivers one of the best at his position is that the good outweighs the bad. For Rivers, he'll throw 13 interceptions in 2019—compared to 34 touchdowns.
In the upcoming season, it's a possibility that Rivers throws for 4,500 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 2019. With those numbers, Rivers could be considered in fantasy leagues as a top-10 quarterback.
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