As we near the start of training camp on July 30, we'll preview each position for the Los Angeles Chargers. We begin with the quarterbacks.
Philip Rivers –Rivers enters his 14th season having already cemented his legacy as one of the top quarterbacks to ever play the game. He's fresh off a 2016 campaign in which he rewrote the record books, passing Dan Fouts for most passing yards in Chargers history. Number 17 shows no sign of slowing down as his 33 touchdowns a year ago were one shy of his career-high. Those 33 TD strikes were the fourth most in the NFL while his 4,386 passing yards ranked fifth. This season, Rivers has a chance to reach the 50,000-yard career-passing yard plateau. Should he do so, he'd join elite company as only six other quarterbacks in NFL history have reached 50,000 yards. Meanwhile, he needs only 189 more completions to become the eighth player in NFL history with 4,000.
Kellen Clemens –A 12-year NFL vet, Clemens is embarking on his fourth season with the Bolts. Initially a second-round pick of the New York Jets in 2006, he also played for the Redskins, Rams and Texans. Clemens has completed 344 of 630 career attempts for 4,017 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 21 starts.
Mike Bercovici –The former Arizona State QB returns for his second training camp after being one of the final players waived during last year's roster reduction. "Berco" totaled 5,333 passing yards, 418 rushing yards, 42 touchdowns and a 137.9 passer rating over four seasons at ASU. His 30 touchdown passes in 2015 are tied for most in a single season in school history.
Eli Jenkins –Jenkins brings a different skillset to the position than any other player on the roster. The 6-2, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback completed 155 of 311 passes for 2,107 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago at Jacksonville State. He also carried the rock 175 times for 984 yards and another 13 touchdowns. Jenkins' longest completion last season went for 76 yards while his longest run also went for 76.
We're Keeping Our Eye On…
Ricky Henne:I'm eager to see Mike Bercovici back in action for the Bolts. He started last year's preseason off with a bang, completing 12 of 19 passes (63.2 percent) for 154 yards over his first two games. Unfortunately, he struggled over the final two games. Still, the team re-signed the youngster immediately following the 2016 season, so it's clear they see something in the 24-year old L.A. native.
Hayley Elwood:I'm interested to see if there will be competition at the backup quarterback position. This is a spot that Kellen Clemens has held with the Bolts since 2014. Although Clemens re-signed with the team this offseason, I'm curious to see if one of the other quarterbacks on the roster can challenge him for that backup spot come camp.
