Report: Philip Rivers could be benched if he struggles against Broncos

Philip Rivers has struggled this year in what has been a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Chargers, and the veteran quarterback may be getting some unwanted time off if his poor play continues.

The Chargers will consider benching Rivers if he struggles on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. Rivers threw four interceptions in last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and he has seven in LA’s last two games.

If Rivers is pulled on Sunday in favor of veteran backup Tyrod Taylor, it seems unlikely that the benching would continue in Week 14. Rivers has made 219 consecutive starts in the regular season, which is the most of any active NFL player and the second most all time behind behind only Brett Favre. The Chargers probably would not force him to snap that streak, especially if they hope to re-sign him this offseason.

The Chargers have had plenty of issues outside of Rivers and his 14 interceptions, but head coach Anthony Lynn acknowledged last week that the turnovers have to stop. He seemed to hint that a quarterback change is a possibility if Rivers can’t protect the football, though he said he does not want him to feel like he has to look over his shoulder.

“Obviously, there’s a fine line there,” Lynn said. “You still want to be aggressive throwing the football, but at the same time, make smarter decisions.”

Rivers had some particularly sloppy throws against Kansas City, but there have also been a lot of tipped passes and interceptions that weren’t his fault. Making a change now would make more sense if the Chargers had a backup quarterback waiting behind Rivers that might be their QB of the future, but that is not the case. Unless Rivers is downright horrible again, it would be a surprise if Lynn pulls him.