SAN DIEGO — Citing his Catholic faith, San Diego Chargers general manager Tom Telesco promised he wasn’t going to lie during his pre-draft news conference.
He then proceeded to speak effusively about quarterback Philip Rivers’ future with the team.
“Philip’s our quarterback. It’s our plan and intent that he’s our quarterback well into the future,” Telesco said Wednesday.
It’s been rumored for weeks that Rivers, who doesn’t want to move to Los Angeles if the team does, could be traded to Tennessee so the Chargers can draft Marcus Mariota with the second pick.
Has Telesco, who currently holds the 17th pick overall, discussed a trade with Tennessee?
“I’m going to leave that go,” he said.
Does he see any scenario that includes moving up to the second pick?
“Uh, no.”
If Tennessee called offering the No. 2 pick for Rivers, what would he say?
“Philip’s our quarterback, and the plan is he’s going to be here for a long, long, long time,” Telesco said.
Rivers has said that with so much uncertainty surrounding the team, he’s likely to play out his current contract, which expires after this season, rather than agreeing to an extension.
The Chargers and their biggest rivals, the Oakland Raiders, in February announced plans to build a $1.7 billion stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson if they don’t get new stadiums in their current hometowns.
The AFC West foes were responding to the possibility of the St. Louis Rams moving to Los Angeles. Rams owner Stan Kroenke is part of a joint venture that wants to build an 80,000-seat stadium in the L.A. suburb of Inglewood.
An advisory group appointed by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has set May 20 as the date it expects to release its plan on how to finance a new stadium at the site of aging Qualcomm Stadium.
The situation could get tricky. What if the Chargers traded Rivers to Tennessee, and then ended up staying in San Diego?
“We shall see,” Telesco said.
The Chargers, who have only one playoff victory in the last five years, worked out Mariota last week.
“That’s just kind of what we do,” Telesco said. “In player evaluation, we’ll never be 100 percent right. We might be 80 percent right. But we will be 100 percent right on preparation.
“With any player in the draft, if Dean leans over and asks me about a player and I’m not prepared and I don’t have enough information on him, that’s on me,” Telesco said, referring to team chairman Dean Spanos. “When it comes to quarterbacks we have to scout them a little bit differently. There’s a lot more that goes into it. That’s not something new.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
