The Chargers had a chance to force overtime against the eventual Super Bowl-champion Chiefs in Week 11. After a defensive stop, Los Angeles got the ball back with just under two minutes left in the Monday Night Football matchup. Rivers needed to move his team 91 yards down the field for a game-tying touchdown.

Before the drive even began, everyone already knew how the game would end, though.

For those of you who are watching your first Chargers game in a while/this season/ever. The defense is going to make a stand again here. It's going to finish a 1 score game. There will be "hope" until it's over. — Bolts From The Blue (@BFTB_Chargers) November 19, 2019

Alas, they were right. Rivers got the Chargers to the Kansas City 14-yard line before his throw to the end zone was intercepted by the Chiefs. Game over.

Los Angeles came up just short ... like always. Nine of the team’s 11 losses in 2019 were decided by a margin of seven points or less.

One week prior to the Chiefs loss, the Chargers only needed to drive into field goal range to beat the Raiders. Facing a 26-24 deficit with about a minute left, Rivers had seven consecutive incompletions (one was nullified by a penalty) followed by a game-ending interception.

Philip Rivers' two-minute drill to end the night. Not pretty! pic.twitter.com/x1zFPLPWcy — Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) November 8, 2019

Maybe a younger version of Rivers would’ve pulled off a pair comebacks in those games. He has 32 career game-winning drives over the course of his career, including two in 2019. Unfortunately, those moments aren’t Rivers’ legacy.

His career with the Chargers will probably be remembered for what he didn’t accomplish rather than what he did.

Philip Rivers lost more close games than any QB

The loss to the Chiefs in Week 11 was the 61st time in Rivers’ career he’s dropped a one-score game. By the end of the year, that number stretched to 63. According to ESPN, that’s a record among quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era.

That reflects poorly on Rivers, especially after finishing so many losses with interceptions. In addition to the Kansas City and Oakland losses, Rivers also threw a pick in the final minutes against the Lions in Week 2, and another against the Steelers in Week 6.

But it wasn’t all his fault. Melvin Gordon fumbled on the 1-yard line earlier this season to ruin a chance to beat the Titans. There was also that time in 2017 when the Chargers opened the season with back-to-back losses due to missed field goals in the final seconds.

The team’s reputation for last-minute implosion is more synonymous with the Chargers than Rivers, specifically. Even receiver Keenan Allen has acknowledged as much on Twitter:

Still, when the Hall of Fame eligibility window opens for Rivers, the talk will center around all the times he couldn’t get the job done. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler who’s sixth all-time in both passing yards and touchdowns. All that production has yielded exactly zero trips to the Super Bowl and just one AFC Championship appearance, way back in January 2008.

Dolphins legend Dan Marino, who never won a Super Bowl, had to battle the same criticisms during a record-breaking career. The difference is that Marino at least made it to one and ended his career in the top spot in both yardage and touchdowns. He was then elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

Rivers may not be afforded the same slack for his lack of accomplishments. And 2018 may have been his last chance to change that narrative.

This is close to the end of the road for Philip Rivers

The 2018 season was one of the best ever for Rivers. He posted a 105.5 passer rating with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while leading the Chargers to a 12-4 record.

It had all the makings of a perfect ending to his career, but — like so many years before — it ended with a frustrating postseason defeat. Rivers completed just 25 of his 51 passes in a 41-28 loss to the Patriots that wasn’t even as close as the score indicates.

Plenty has changed since then, though.

Rivers turned 38 in December and his play fell off a cliff. The Buccaneers’ Jameis Winston was the only quarterback in the NFL who threw more interceptions than Rivers, who finished with 20. His passer rating of 88.5 was one of the lowest marks of his career, and 17th in the NFL. He only threw 23 touchdowns on 591 pass attempts; that 3.9 percent rate was the lowest of his career.

And his interceptions weren’t just late-game desperation heaves, either. Inexplicably poor decisions by Rivers happened throughout games.

Kyle Fuller intercepts Rivers and almost returns it to the house! #LACvsCHI #Bears100



: FOX

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Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/a16R5wPShJ pic.twitter.com/pjzIzc80UA — NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019

Rivers’ contract expires in the March and the Chargers announced they didn’t intend to bring him back.

“In anything you do, it’s the people you do it with that make it special. There are so many relationships and memories with coaches, support staff and teammates that will last forever, and for that I am so thankful."



Philip Rivers to Enter Free Agency » https://t.co/njeTsCbi1D pic.twitter.com/bCKXKTRePh — Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) February 10, 2020

That’s a logical move. For the first time, Rivers was more of a negative than a positive for the franchise.

The Chargers’ offseason will likely revolve around either finding a quarterback of the future to take over for Rivers. There are also a few veteran options expected to hit the market who could be a stopgap starter for the Chargers in 2020.

There are a few teams that could probably use a veteran presence like Rivers to temporarily take the wheel — like the Buccaneers, for instance. Rivers moved his large family to Florida, so a landing place in the Sunshine State makes sense. Rivers has shown he doesn’t like being far from home. He didn’t even leave San Diego when the Chargers did, opting instead for a daily 80-mile commute in a tricked out SUV.

One way or another, Rivers’ career is nearing its conclusion and it’s hard to envision it ending with confetti. Sadly, it’ll probably end with Rivers being remembered as a quarterback who — like he did against the Chiefs — always came up just a little short.