The Indianapolis Colts are close to finishing a deal with Philip Rivers and could be planning to use him as a bridge to a newly drafted quarterback, a new SB Nation report claims.
The Colts are in the market for a quarterback now that Jacoby Brissett has failed to lock down the starting job after Andrew Luck’s surprise retirement just ahead of the 2019 season. There have been reports linking the Colts to Rivers for a few months, but it now appears that they are moving aggressively to to bring the former Los Angeles Chargers QB on board.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report said on Twitter that the Colts are close to finishing the deal, though the details were not yet known, including the length of the contract.
As the SB Nation blog Stampede Blue reported on Monday, Rivers was seen as an upgrade over the inconsistent Brissett, and has experience with Colts head coach Frank Reich from his time with the Chargers when they were in San Diego. It was not clear what long-term plans the Colts would have for the 38-year-old quarterback, but Stampede Blue suggested that the move would allow the Colts to be more competitive in 2020 while continuing to look for a franchise quarterback.
That could come in the upcoming NFL draft, the report suggested.
“The Colts would be prudent to draft a top rookie quarterback, say Utah State’s Jordan Love, to groom behind him as his long-term successor in combination—sooner rather than later,” the report noted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFvaUSH7ky8
There has already been some upheaval in the NFL quarterback ranks heading into free agency. Tom Brady announced on Tuesday that he was leaving the New England Patriots, and his destination was still unknown. The Colts had been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Brady as rumors swirled that he could be leaving the Patriots, but the market for Brady now appears to be much thinner. Another team closely connected to Brady, the Tennessee Titans, also seems to be out of the running after locking down Ryan Tannehill to a new deal. The Las Vegas Raiders, once seen as front-runners for Brady, also appear to be targeting another quarterback in Marcus Mariota.
The Colts had been connected to some other top quarterbacks as it became clear that Brissett would not become the long-term starter. As The Inquisitr noted, they had previously been pegged as a potential landing spot for Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal caller Jameis Winston.
