Philip Rivers agrees to contract extension with Chargers
Listen to this articlePhoto above: San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers talking
to tight end Antonio Gates during practice. (Claudia Gestro)
On Monday Afternoon the San Diego Chargers and Philip Rivers announced they had reached an agreement for a contract extension that will keep Rivers with the Chargers for his entire career.
Earlier this year the elite quarterback had expressed concerns about moving to Los Angeles, which many believed was a sticking point with getting a contract signed.
The Quarterback said that wasn’t a reason for the contract delay, adding he has nothing against L.A., but he and his family do have deep ties to San Diego and if the team moved he and his family would miss that part of being in San Diego.
“My lack of excitement for a potential move was more about the thought of leaving this community than it was about a disdain for L.A.
“That’s still out of our control, nobody still knows, so it wasn’t a hatred of Los Angeles. It was more of a love for this community. This is where all but one of my children were born and where our family has grown, for over a decade.”
What was really important for Rivers was the commitment from his team, the San Diego Chargers.
“The commitment that they’ve shown me; and the trust in me as the quarterback over the last 11 years; and in turn the time that I’ve put in here, that out-weighed any of the other uncertainty. That was that important. The fact that they wanted me to have the opportunity to finish here and continue to lead this team, that opportunity itself out-weighted any of those other variables that were out of my control.”
His contract is for four years and is worth over $81 million, about $65 million guaranteed over the four years. Also in the contract: a “no-trade” clause that will give Rivers control over where he goes, if the team ever decides to trade him. As of today it looks like the team is more interested in keeping him.
This contract makes Philip Rivers the highest paid player in the NFL — for good reason. In his nine seasons as the starting quarterback his team has been to the playoffs five times and Rivers has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times. In six of his last seven seasons he has thrown for over 4,000 yards and last year he threw 31 touchdown passes.
Rivers is just 33-years old and has proven he is, without question, one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.
(Staff members of the Los Angeles Post-Examiner contributed to this article)
Claudia is of Peruvian and Italian descent, having been born in a small town, in the North of Peru, South America. She was raised by her grandmother from an early age, living in poverty until Claudia’s mother brought her to America. She landed in Miami, FL and started her new life, playing high school basketball and eventually becoming a United States citizen. Claudia completed her education at Florida International University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism and became a model to supplement her income. Since graduating from FIU Claudia has worked with many of the Spanish Language broadcasting companies, including Telemundo, Univision and most recently Spanish Language channels on SiriusXM satellite radio and PasTV Deportes in Venezuela.She encourages you to follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Her content appears here under a shared content agreement with her Spanish television clients.