To this point, San Diego backup quarterback Philip Rivers has been diplomatic. He's watched Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger succeed from afar and wondered what he'd do given a similar chance. But inactivity can be discouraging, and through 24 games in an NFL uniform, Rivers has thrown exactly eight passes, or a whopping three more than running back LaDainian Tomlinson over that same span. It's not exactly how anyone envisioned it when the Giants selected him fourth overall in 2004 and shipped him to San Diego for Manning. Again Rivers will trade his helmet for a baseball cap when the Chargers face the Jets at the Meadowlands tomorrow. But don't expect speculation surrounding San Diego's quarterback logjam to end any time soon, particularly here in New York. Either Rivers, who is signed to a multimillion-dollar contract through 2010, or starter Drew Brees, who earns a hefty $8.078 million, will likely end up elsewhere next season.