Philip Rivers Rumors: 'Bucs Will Evaluate' QB Amid Decision on Jameis Winston

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly will continue to evaluate former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers while they decide whether to use the franchise tag on Jameis Winston.

According to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Rivers continues to be linked with the Indianapolis Colts, but a move to Tampa Bay and even retirement are options:

"He's still linked to the Colts, who will do their due diligence on the quarterback market overall. But it appears anything is in play here, including joining Eli Manning in a migration into the sunset. People we talked to believe the Bucs will evaluate Rivers as an option as well. Jameis Winston entered the process expecting the franchise or transition tag, but it hasn't come yet, and the Bucs are noncommittal. Expect them to gauge the QB market in the next two weeks, knowing they have until March 12 to tag Winston. They have weapons and want to capitalize on them with the right QB, and they might instead need the franchise tag to keep pass-rusher Shaq Barrett off the market."

Rivers said goodbye to the Chargers after the 2019 season, ending a 16-year stint with the only team he has represented as a professional.

The 38-year-old threw for 4,615 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, but he struggled with turnovers, tossing 20 interceptions. 

Rivers has been strongly linked with the Colts, and Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk noted head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni have both worked with the gunslinger in the past.

A reunion in Indianapolis would make sense. The Colts had to rely on Jacoby Brissett after Andrew Luck's shocking retirement last season, and while the 27-year-old showed some flashes, he's not a slam-dunk option:

The Bucs find themselves at a crossroads with Winston, and PFT's Mike Florio speculated they could look at Rivers and Tom Brady first, with last year's starter a fallback option.

The 2015 No. 1 pick threw for a league-high 5,109 yards last season, but he also became the first player to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single campaign.

Per Florio, there seems to be little interest in Winston, so the Bucs could gamble and take their time assessing each option. The team has until March 12 to use the tag, or else Winston will hit the free-agent market when the new league year begins March 18.