82. Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers

His intensity remains, but Rivers' best years are likely behind him. 
82. Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers
82. Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers /

Classifying Rivers as an elite quarterback is a case that’s getting tougher to make all the time. He’ll roll up some pretty decent statistics every season, and no one in the game burns with as much on-field intensity as Rivers, but he has ended the past two seasons on a downswing and his days of being the difference between the Chargers winning and losing seem long gone. Playing in San Diego, given the losing and the relocation issue, is no easy feat, but Rivers hasn’t been able to rise above it and sustain his performance at a high level. At 34, he’s still young enough to surprise us and put together a monster season, lifting the Chargers back into playoff contention. But it’s also entirely possible that we’ve already seen his best work. 


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Don Banks
DON BANKS

Senior NFL writer Don Banks joined SI in 2000 after 10 years on the beat covering the Vikings and Buccaneers. His Snap Judgments cap off every Sunday of every NFL season.