COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — For any NFL team with a star quarterback of a certain age, the draft is an annual chance to anoint a successor.

It’s also a chance for fans, pundits and the rest of the league to spend several months enthusiastically discussing whether that team will make the move.

The Los Angeles Chargers have had the same starting quarterback in every game since 2006, and Philip Rivers will turn 37 years old in the fall.

Already one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, Rivers said last week he is nowhere near retirement and intends to play “a handful more years.”

That hasn’t stopped the football world from wondering whether general manager Tom Telesco will decide that this is the year to grab his next quarterback when he makes the 17th overall pick on Thursday night.

After winning nine of their final 12 games and barely missing the playoffs last season, the Chargers have a solid roster with few obvious weak spots. The time could be right for a move toward the future behind center, but Telesco isn’t sure.

“That’s a question we know we’ll get every year until we draft a quarterback,” Telesco said Monday.

“The great thing right now is that we’re very happy with Philip. He’s our quarterback, hands down, rest assured, for this year and hopefully beyond. But we always have to have an eye on the future. That’s part of our job. There are a lot of other areas on our football team that we’d like to add to, too. That’s all part of it.”

Telesco realizes the questions are particularly sharp this spring not because of any decline in Rivers’ play, which was largely outstanding last season, but because a handful of elite prospects could be available when the Chargers are on the clock.

Local product Josh Rosen and Heisman Trophy winners Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield all are conceivable possibilities for the Bolts, particularly if they elected to trade up a bit.

Telesco agrees the crop of quarterbacks in this draft is “a deep class, not only in the first round, but some other rounds as well. We’ve seen it the last couple of years. The quarterback classes have been pretty good. Guys are coming into the league and playing a little bit quicker than they used to.”

With Geno Smith and Cardale Jones on the roster behind Rivers, Telesco has the luxury of knowing he doesn’t need to draft a quarterback. He’ll decide soon whether the succession plan will wait another year.

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PATRIOTS TIGHT END ROB GRONKOWSKI SAYS HE’LL PLAY IN 2018

BOSTON (AP) — Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says he is returning for his ninth NFL season.

Gronkowski made the announcement in a post on Instagram Tuesday . Gronkowski said he met with coach Bill Belichick to inform him of his intention to return, adding he’s “been working out, staying in shape and feel great.”

Gronk previously hinted at considering retirement following New England’s Super Bowl loss to the Eagles in February.

He appeared in 14 games during the 2017 season and led the team in receiving with 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns.

Gronkowski was knocked out of last season’s AFC championship game with a concussion, but was able to return in time for the Super Bowl. He missed the Patriots’ 2017 Super Bowl win over Atlanta after undergoing back surgery.

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http://pro32.ap.org/salisburypost/poll/