The Chargers were seen by some as a candidate to nab a quarterback in the draft to groom behind Philip Rivers.
That didn't happen on Thursday night -- and Rivers is glad it didn't.
"Yeah, I don't know if it would have been real good. As I told y'all a few weeks ago, not that I would ever shy away from anything, but that would have been an indication to me that we're looking down the road," Rivers told KLSD-AM in San Diego on Friday. "We're not really sure we can win right now, so we're gonna go ahead and take a quarterback at seven, and we'll let you hang on as long as you can, then we're gonna move on. You know what I mean?"
Rivers isn't about to lose his job, but the 35-year-old signal-caller knows what it means when teams invest a first-round selection on a quarterback. That's exactly what happened to Alex Smith, the Chiefs starter who watched Kansas City aggressively trade up to grab strong-armed Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech.
Smith will now spend the rest of the offseason -- and beyond -- fielding questions about his job security, something Rivers wasn't longing for.
"That's why I don't think -- I would've handled it OK -- but it wouldn't have been great," Rivers said before praising the Chargers for using the seventh-overall pick on Clemson wideout Mike Williams.
"I'm glad we made a move that I think helps us right now," said Rivers, "... As I've told you guys, and as I truly believe, I think we're almost in a window as we were in '06, '09, and that part is pretty exciting."
Rivers isn't wrong. The Chargers have a stockpile of talent on offense and a frisky collection of up-and-coming defenders. Last year's ugly record -- partly the result of endless injuries -- is bound to improve this autumn.
Rivers, meanwhile, remains one of the game's most compelling quarterbacks -- and an asset the Chargers don't need to think about replacing just yet.
Watch the NFL Draft LIVE tonight at 7 ET on NFL Network
