As far as Philip Rivers is concerned, he's not a member of the Los Angeles Chargers just yet.
The longtime Bolts quarterback was added to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday, replacing Ben Roethlisberger and giving him an opportunity to play one more game as a San Diego Charger, in his mind.
"I made this team as a San Diego Charger," Rivers told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "That's cool.
"We walked off the field after that Kansas City game and we thought it might be the end, but we didn't know. This will be the last game I play as a San Diego Charger."
Forget for a second that the Chargers have indeed moved to Los Angeles, they held two news conferences and promoted three logos touting the fact and Rivers himself won over Angelenos at said news conferences, acknowledging the move and making fun cracks about his boots-and-jeans lifestyle. Forget all that.
Also forget that Rivers took the most solemn of oaths on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to "officially" become a Los Angeles Charger. Wipe that from your mind's eye.
This is a sweet, sentimental statement from a franchise quarterback and de facto community leader wistfully paying homage to the city he loved, respected and prepared to live in and raise his family, regardless of a move up the coast.
But while the stats Rivers racked up during 2016 were done so in San Diego, for branding continuity on Sunday in Orlando, the QB will be introduced as a member of the most recent rendition of the team that pays him -- the Los Angeles Chargers.Â
