COSTA MESA, Calif. — Philip Rivers’ 16-year career with the Chargers has come to an end.

The franchise announced Monday that Rivers will enter free agency and won’t return to Los Angeles for the upcoming season. General manager Tom Telesco said in a statement that as they talked through various scenarios with Rivers, it became apparent it would be best for both “to turn the page on what has truly been a remarkable run.”

Rivers’ future in powder blue was the main storyline late in the season after the Chargers were eliminated from postseason consideration. He said during the final weeks that he intended to play in 2020, even if that meant going to another team.

The 38-year old Rivers was emotional and in a reflective mood after the Chargers’ 31-21 loss to Kansas City in the season finale. He acknowledged it would be weird to be in another uniform but didn’t think it would be much of an adjustment.

Los Angeles made the playoffs in 2018 but was 5-11 this season with nine losses by one score. The seven-win decline was the worst dropoff in the league in 2019 and the second biggest in franchise history. Rivers’ 4,615 passing yards were fourth in the league, but his 20 interceptions were third most and just one off tying a career high.

Rivers moved his family to Florida last month from their longtime home in San Diego. He commuted between the team’s Orange County headquarters and San Diego since the franchise moved in 2017.

“I am very grateful to the Spanos family and the Chargers organization for the last 16 years,” Rivers said in a statement.