Considering Philip is only entering his sixth season as a starter (preceded by two as a backup), it’s probably a little premature, but still a fun topic to discuss. ESPN’s Bill Williamson briefly takes on this debate in his AFC West Blog, comparing Philip to Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, and Dan Marino, other Hall of Fame quarterbacks without a Super Bowl ring:
If Rivers continues to play at a high level, he could be in the neighborhood of some of these Hall of Fame quarterbacks who did not win a Super Bowl.
Of the active Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, only Rodgers has a better career passer rating than Rivers. Peyton Manning, Brady and Brees have more touchdown passes, and Peyton Manning and Brees have more passing yardage than Rivers since 2006.
“He stacks up with a lot the current guys and the recent Hall of Famers,†Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. “I think he is very much in the same class as Kelly or Moon for sure — and maybe even Marino. Longevity will be key, but his lifetime numbers should be off the charts.â€
If Rivers (who had a famously speedy recovery from a torn ACL in the 2007 playoffs) can stay healthy, he should make a serious Canton push, ring or no ring.
“The guy has everything,†Horton said. “He’s a son of a coach. He’s a gym rat. He has great skills. He showed last year he can succeed with street free agents because all of his guys were hurt … Philip Rivers is a Hall of Fame type guy, there’s no doubt about it.â€
Philip is still in his prime, and likely has another six or seven good years for the Chargers management to get its act together and build a team around him that can win a Super Bowl, in which case, this whole argument is then moot.
What isn’t up for debate was the greatness of Philip Rivers as a college quarterback, which you can revisit just for fun here.
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