Philip Rivers won't 'shut the door' on Saints if they call about QB position
The New Orleans Saints are in a bind.
Is it a big enough bind to lure Philip Rivers out of retirement? If so, he sounds interested. Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Rivers told him he'd "listen" if the Saints came calling about their sudden quarterback need.
Are Saints really satisfied with Trevor Siemian?
The Saints lost starting quarterback Jameis Winston to a torn ACL on Sunday. Trevor Siemian took over as New Orleans upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But two seasons of starts with the Denver Broncos made clear that Siemian's best role in the NFL is as a backup.
The Saints are 5-2, very much in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. Gimmick quarterback Taysom Hill and fourth-round rookie Ian Book are the other options on the roster. With the NFL trade deadline passing Tuesday, the Saints' only outside option to address the position is via free agency. Would they actually consider calling Rivers?
Rivers: 'You can't shut the door on anything'
To be clear, they haven't. Rivers said so himself Tuesday morning, telling Alabama.com's Mark Heim: "There’s been no dialogue."
But he made sure to reiterate that he's intrigued. Just in case the Saints are listening.
"You can’t shut the door on anything,” Rivers told Heim. “Although I still stick by it's a super, super slim chance. ... It takes a team to want you, first of all. It’s got to be the right situation for our family.
“The Saints are a heck of a team and will definitely be a contender down the stretch. Coach Payton and what they’ve done over the years with Drew over the last 15 years has been unbelievable. They’ve been in the mix each and every year.”
Rivers, family relocated close to New Orleans
In case you missed it, Rivers and his full house aren't far from New Orleans. His family recently moved to Fairhope, Alabama, where Rivers works as the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High — which just so happened to wrap up its season on Friday. New Orleans is less than a three-hour drive west on Interstate 10 — a proximity that wouldn't pull Rivers far from his family.
Would the Saints actually make the call?
Which brings us to the question that really matters here. Would the Saints actually be interested in signing Rivers? The last time we saw him, he was quarterbacking the Indianapolis Colts to an 11-5 record and a season that ended with a wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
At 39 years old, he wasn't his former Pro Bowl self. But he was a more-than-capable starter on a playoff team, completing 68% of his passes with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.
There are certainly worse options out there for the Saints. But so far, there's no indication that they're looking anywhere outside their current roster of quarterbacks who already know the playbook to address the position.