Rivers has joined QB club

Many say that America is the land of opportunity.

It’s also been said that the NFL is the league of opportunity.

With players’ statuses constantly uncertain because of injuries and the head coach turnover rate similar to that of your local Wendy’s, a player must constantly be prepared. He must be ready to seize an opportunity when it’s there or he may have a very short-lived career.

With the departure of Drew Brees this past offseason, Philip Rivers was given a chance to be the starting quarterback in San Diego.

Not only did he seize the opportunity, he’s turning out to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Everyone in the Chargers organization had faith that Rivers would turn out to be a real factor in the NFL. It wasn’t until Sunday that the rest of the league got to witness the ability of the young quarterback.

With three second-half touchdowns, Rivers led his team back from a 28-7 deficit to a 49-41 shootout win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rivers is a young man that everyone is just drawn to. Ask anyone who has played with him on any level, any former coach, or just anyone who has ever met the guy and they will tell you that he was born to succeed.

In a league that has a problem with a lack of maturity amongst its players, players like Rivers keep it balanced. Rivers is mature beyond his 25 years. He married his high school sweetheart his freshman year in college, but not before he asked his head coach at North Carolina State for permission.

He was 19 at the time, this is not a typo. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention he was also a four-year starter and second all-time on the NCAA Division I-A career passing yardage list. Not only does he have his head on straight, Rivers can play a little bit.

Then when Rivers was drafted in 2004 by the New York Giants, he was immediately traded for Eli Manning. The Chargers also got another pick later in that round where they selected Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman.

I’d say the 2004 draft went all right for San Diego.

Even though Rivers was being paid $14.5 million, he found himself riding the bench for his first two years. Rivers watched as Brees had back-to-back career years. For those two years, Rivers didn’t see a snap with the first team in practice, let alone a game. Rivers made sure he gained the players’ respect while playing every day on the scout team.

He made the players realize, if he was given the opportunity, he would not let them down. Rivers, who has always had the talent, just had two years to study and learn how to adapt to a league that most quarterbacks never figure out. Instead of throwing their young player into the fire, the Chargers let him watch and learn.

When Brees wasn’t re-signed in the offseason, the locker room was much divided.

Fullback Lorenzo Neal told reporters, “Drew was our leader. It was like having your girlfriend beak up with you.”

Since Rivers has been thrust into the starting role, he has never looked back, and neither have the Chargers.

Some would argue that Rivers’ success is largely because of the talent of his teammates. He plays with arguably the best player in the league in LaDainian Tomlinson, and has arguably the best tight end in the game in Antonio Gates.

But there are not many quarterbacks at any level of football having success without talent around them. No matter what you have on your team, you still have to make plays, and that’s all Rivers has done this year. He’s just finds a way to win.

Early in the season, it was all about the defense, until the injury bug hit them hard. Then Merriman, often regarded as the most dominant defensive player in the league was suspended for steroids.

No one believed that the Chargers could keep winning. Then again, people didn’t realize what Rivers was capable of doing.

Rivers has thrown 13 touchdowns to only three interceptions and there is only one player with a better quarterback rating. That quarterback plays in Indianapolis – Peyton Manning.

Rivers has led his team to a 7-2 record and with a win this weekend against the AFC West rival Denver Broncos (7-2), the Chargers would be in first place in their division. A win like that could elevate Rivers into a special category.

To become elite at any sport, you have to do it consistently for many years.

Manning has been putting up godly numbers for years now. Tom Brady had already racked up three Super Bowl rings. There is no question that these two men stand alone at the top of the hill when it comes to quarterbacks in the NFL. That’s not even an argument.

If Rivers is able to win this weekend, someone might have to tell Brady and Manning to make room, there is someone on their way to join them.