Editor's Note: On February 10, 2020, the Chargers announced that Philip Rivers will enter free agency.

Certain quarterbacks will always be associated with particular franchises. 

Joe Namath will always be a Jet. Joe Montana will always be a 49er. Peyton Manning will always be a Colt. But those all-time greats didn't finish their careers where they started. 

Fans don't remember Namath the Ram, Montana the Chief and Manning the Bronco as fondly. Yet, they weren't ready to finish their careers when their previous franchises were ready to move on with another quarterback. 

Philip Rivers will forever be remembered as a Charger. But his time with the franchise is likely finished. 

According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (h/t Sports Illustrated's Jason B. Hirschhorn), the Chargers have "moved on from Philip Rivers." 

The move isn't entirely unexpected. The signs materialized over the last few weeks. Earlier this month, Rivers finally left the San Diego area to move to Florida to be closer to his family, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

"What this means football-wise is to be determined but it was time for us to move back closer to home," Rivers said via text. 

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco intimated the potential for a major change was forthcoming. 

"Well, he's a free agent, so there's a lot of moving parts that come with that," Telesco said during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "... He didn't play his best in every game, but guess what, our team didn't play its best in every game either. We only had five wins. I think he still has plenty of good snaps in him, but like I said, he's a free agent. So there's a lot of moving parts that go with that."

The Chargers franchise is in a unique position. Usually, the thought of moving on from a well-established starter and locker room leader is quite difficult. But two factors make it the absolute right move.

First, the team has the sixth overall draft pick. It is well within striking distance of acquiring a first-round quarterback for the first time since doing so 16 years ago when the Chargers traded Eli Manning for Rivers. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon's Justin Herbert are prime candidates since LSU's Joe Burrow is the presumptive favorite for the No. 1 overall pick. 

Second, the Chargers will move into the luxurious SoFi Stadium this fall—which they will share with the Los Angeles Rams—after spending the last three seasons playing at Dignity Health Sports Park. A fresh start with a dynamic young quarterback would provide an opportunity for the Chargers not to feel like second-class citizens in their home stadium and generate legitimate excitement. 

In the meantime, the Chargers still have Tyrod Taylor to serve as a veteran presence and mentor until the new face of the franchise is ready to take the reins. 

As for Rivers, he certainly seems ready to start fresh since he has no plans of hanging up his cleats. 

"I plan to play football, so yes," Rivers said last month, per ESPN's Eric D. Williams. "Where that is going to be will get sorted out over the next few months. I've never been in this position. I don't even know when the league year starts. We'll just kind of see. I'm very thankful for the 16 years, and if there is another, I'll be thankful for that."

It won't be an easy transition, though.

Ask Montana. 

"It's not easy to go to another team and get accepted, no matter how much success you've had and how many years you've played," Montana told NFL Network's Mike Silver. "They still want to see you come in and be the same player and be that loyal to them as you were to the other team you just left. So, it's not easy [for] guys looking at that change, especially at the quarterback position."

Still, a quality veteran remains a valuable commodity for other franchises with uncertainty behind center. It's not always the cheapest or most effective option, but the NFL appears to have no limit in recycling signal-callers.

In this case, Rivers can still play. He may not be counted among the best at the position anymore. But he might be better than a few other starting options.

What's next for Rivers, and what ripple effects will he create if/when he signs elsewhere? 

Three teams immediately jump to the forefront as the best possible landing spots. 

Landing Spot 1: Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts signed Jacoby Brissett to a two-year, $30 contract extension after learning about Andrew Luck's abrupt retirement. 

Brissett didn't perform as well as expected, especially during the second half of the season as the Colts' playoff hopes faded.

But the Colts aren't locked into Brissett for the 2020 campaign. 

According to Spotrac, general manager Chris Ballard can release Brissett and save $8.9 million against the 2020 salary cap, though the 27-year-old quarterback will still count for $12.5 million in dead cap space. 

It's a difficult pill to swallow, even if it's the right move for the franchise. 

Rivers is an ideal fit in Indianapolis, too.

Prior to Anthony Lynn becoming the Chargers head coach, current Colts head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni served as the Chargers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, respectively. 

Both know the 38-year-old quarterback quite well, which would allow him to step right in with an understanding of the offense. More importantly, the statuesque pocket passer would benefit greatly from playing behind the league's best offensive line. Rivers hasn't been properly protected in years. Only his anticipation and whiplike release kept him from taking more sacks. 

Besides, the salary cap isn't an issue for Indianapolis. The Colts own the league's second-most cap space with a projected $90.4 million for the 2020 campaign. 

If the Colts do indeed release Brissett and sign Rivers, they'll still need a long-term quarterback plan. That can be addressed with one of the two second-round picks they own. 

Indianapolis is the obvious destination; the other two options are less so. 

Landing Spot 2: Chicago Bears

A significant decision needs to be made in Chicago since Mitchell Trubisky's career already sits at a crossroads. 

Publicly, the Bears organization continues to back the 2017 second overall pick. 

"Mitch is our starter," general manager Ryan Pace said last month, per ESPN's Jeff Dickerson. "We believe in Mitch, and we believe in the progress that he's gonna continue to make."

But the Bears must see how poorly he's played compared to classmates Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. 

Clearly, the organization isn't happy with the situation since head coach Matt Nagy fired offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride Jr. at the end of the season. 

The Bears front office must also decide whether to pick up Trubisky's rookie fifth-year option this offseason. As of now, his play doesn't warrant such a move. 

It's a tricky situation because the Bears aren't flush with cap space and Trubisky's 2020 salary is fully guaranteed at $9.2 million. 

Yet, an opportunity exists to upgrade the position, improve the offense and place Chicago back into the postseason picture. The Bears must consider the possibility of adding Rivers based on those arguments. 

Landing Spot 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a decision to make on 2015 No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. 

Winston became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 30-plus touchdowns and interceptions in the same season. He also led the league with 5,109 passing yards. 

The 26-year-old quarterback is now a free agent. 

Head coach Bruce Arians didn't mince words when asked whether the Buccaneers are capable of winning with another quarterback. 

"With another quarterback? Oh yeah," Arians told reporters last month. "We can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one, too…we're going to have this defense."

Like the Colts, Tampa Bay has plenty of salary-cap room to sign Rivers if it feels he is a better option in the short term. After all, Winston has been a turnover machine throughout his career. 

Yes, this argument is a tad ironic since Rivers finished third with 20 interceptions this season. But the eight-time Pro Bowler has had a better passer rating than Winston in all five years of the younger QB's career.

At worst, the Buccaneers can create leverage in potential negotiations by playing the two quarterbacks off each other. 

Ripple Effects

Rivers will likely be the biggest-name quarterback to sign elsewhere. 

Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Ryan Tannehill should heed the advice Montana gave. 

"Don't [change teams]—if you don't have to," the Hall of Fame quarterback told Silver. "It's a process to go through, and it takes time to get used to the team."

The next tier of quarterbacks will likely be waiting to see what Rivers does. Winston (if he doesn't re-sign with Tampa Bay), Teddy Bridgewater and Marcus Mariota don't have an obvious pathway toward starting in 2020. They'll likely have to sign short-term, prove-it deals, like Tannehill did in March. 

The Chargers appear ready for a new era, but Rivers still has something left for another franchise in need of a steadying veteran presence behind center.