The rumor of the San Diego Chargers potentially sending Philip Rivers packing to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the opportunity to select a rookie quarterback like Heisman Trophy-winner Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL Draft seems about as realistic as the notion of Rivers acting like a soft-spoken, well-mannered gentleman on the field next season, but the idea just won't seem to die and quite often in the NFL where there's ample smoke, there's a fairly sizable fire.
"While Chargers brass deny Rivers is in play, I'm not so sure," writes David Climer of The Tennessean. "There are reports that San Diego has scheduled a private workout for Mariota in a couple of weeks. What gives? Mariota isn't going to be there if San Diego stands pat at its No. 17 slot in the first round. The Chargers might be trying to trade up."
With the Tennessee Titans currently in possession of the second-overall pick in the draft and likely to be faced with the choice of taking Mariota, USC's Leonard Williams or one of the draft's top two receivers, Amari Cooper or Kevin White - not to mention probably inundated with trade offers from teams below them looking to get their hands on a specific player - Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Ruston Weber will have a difficult and franchise-defining decision ahead of them come late April.
Climer believes that the top two Tennessee decision-makers won't take Mariota or Jameis Winston on draft night and despite their reported belief in last year's sixth-round pick, Zach Mettenberger, if the Chargers rumored interest in Mariota is, in fact, quite real, he feels that the Titans should do everything in their power to pry Rivers from Chargers head coach Mike McCoy and GM Tom Telesco's hands.
The 33-year-old Rivers is entering the final year of his deal. He has said both that he does not want to rework his contract until it expires after the season and that he'd be uninterested in relocating to Los Angeles with the team were that to come to pass.
The Titans, as Climer notes, have the cap space - approximately $24.08 million, per OverTheCap.com - to take on Rivers' $17.416 million cap hit for the 2015 season, though were a deal to actually be consummated a contract restructuring and extension would likely be part of the process.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated believes there is some validity to the rumor between the two sides in the sense that Rivers does want to keep his options open and the Chargers are, in fact, interested in Mariota.
The idea of a deal though, seems improbable for a very simple reason.
"Rivers won't sign an extension (at least now) with San Diego, and the Chargers do like Marcus Mariota," writes King. "The only problem with the theory: Chargers coach Mike McCoy loves Rivers unconditionally; GM Tom Telesco is in the same league as McCoy. Could Rivers be telling the Chargers they'd better make some plans beyond 2015 because he doesn't want to return? I doubt it, but I suppose it's possible."
Rivers finished last season for the Chargers with 4,286 yards and 31 touchdowns passing for a quarterback rating of 93.8, bringing his career totals to 36,655 yards and 252 touchdowns and a 95.7 rating.
His postseason resume is less than glowing and he's been a part of some very talented Chargers teams that failed to deliver on their promise.
Still, would the Chargers seriously consider moving a player that has been their franchise quarterback for 11 NFL seasons now just for the chance to nab the unknown promise of a guy like Mariota?
Anything is possible in today's NFL and the potential will be intriguing to discuss in the three short weeks leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft.
