There is plenty of speculation that the Buccaneers might be pursuing San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers as a possible replacement for Jameis Winston. Both Rivers and Winston are prolific passers coming off losing seasons in which both QBs were among the league leaders in interceptions and are slated for free agency in 2020.

Rivers has spent the last 16 years with the Chargers organization, but after a 5-11 season in Los Angeles, the organization appears ready to move on from the 38-year old and draft a quarterback of the future.

After spending five seasons with just one winning record and no trips to the playoffs with Winston – who led the league with 5,109 passing yards, but also with 30 interceptions and an NFL-record seven pick-sixes – could Tampa Bay ready to move on to a more experienced passer?

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians is a big fan of Rivers, and admitted as much on a Chargers podcast during the 2018 season when he was working for CBS. Arians was part of the broadcast team for the Week 5 Chargers vs. Raiders game and heaped praise on Rivers on the Chargers’ podcast.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden – Photo by: Getty Images

“Yeah, I mean he’s at the top of the list,” Arians said of Rivers. “He’s in the top five for sure. (I) loved him when he came out. I liked him when he came out of high school, and he’s just a winner. There are a lot of ways to play the position. He is a classic, drop-back quarterback and, I mean, those are the guys I love coaching.”

In his 14 season as a starting QB, Rivers has had eight winning seasons, just four losing seasons to go along with a pair of 8-8 seasons with the Chargers. He currently ranks as the sixth all-time leading passer in NFL history with 59,271 yards.

Rivers is just two years removed from a Pro Bowl season in 2018 when he completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,308 yards with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while helping the Chargers to a 12-4 record. He’s played in 11 playoff games and has a 5-6 record in the postseason.

During the 2018 broadcast on CBS, Arians saw Rivers complete 22-of-27 passes (81.5 percent) for 339 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in L.A.’s 26-10 win over Oakland en route to a 12-4 record.

Arians said that Rivers, who was 37 at the time, wasn’t acting his age on the football field.

“He looks younger than he has in the last six years,” Arians said. “I mean, it’s amazing. … I watched Ben (Roethlisberger) and he lost all that weight and looks so good, and all these guys. I mean – 40 (years old) – that number anymore, you can throw that out the window. All these guys, I think, are going to play to 40, 42 because they’re taking such great care of themselves. And if you allow a great quarterback to stay with a great offensive coordinator and stay in the same system, that’s how you have success.”

A year and a half later, does Arians feel the same way about Rivers? And if so, does he want to swap Winston out for Rivers in Tampa Bay in 2020?