After watching the Chargersaudition quarterback prospects over the past couple of months, Philip Rivers has been "rejuvenated" by his organization's 2017 draft class.
The Bolts' decision makers failed to bring in competition in the form of an eventual quarterback successor. Better yet, they spent the early rounds of the draft bolstering Rivers' offensive line and wide receiver corps.
Although Rivers struggled down the stretch last season, new coach Anthony Lynn believes the 35-year-old passer is closer to the prime of his career than the end of the road.
"He looks rejuvenated," Lynn told The Jim Rome Show on Tuesday. "He's got a little zip on the ball. He can have three or four more productive years easily in my mind."
While a host of aging quarterbacks -- from Ben Roethlisberger to Carson Palmer to Jay Cutler -- have mulled retirement in 2017, Rivers has harbored no such doubts about his twilight years on the gridiron. In fact, he hasn't missed a start in 176 consecutive games.
"Philip wants to play forever and that's what you want in a quarterback," Lynn continued. "I'm always leery of these guys that tell me I think I'm going to play another year or two.
"I want the ones you got to push out, you got to run off. Those are the ones that love football and can't get enough, and that's how Philip is."
With first-round receiver Mike Williams joining a healthy Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin and the tight-end duo of Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry, Rivers will have defenses in a pickle this season.
In his Los Angeles debut, he's set up for his best season since his 2013 Comeback Player of the Year campaign.
"We definitely think Philip can still play," Lynn said. "Whoever we drafted was going to have to come in and sit for a while because I think Philip is going to continue to play at a high level."
