Former Charger Tre Boston returns as Card; Philip Rivers talks clean trash

TEMPE, Ariz. — Call Steve Wilks one of few grateful parties involved for what turned out to be an ice cold safety market this past NFL offseason.

For all that’s been up and down in Wilks’ first year as Arizona Cardinals coach, a steadying force in the backend of his defense has been Tre Boston, the safety who felt the chill of that market.

Boston met with the team as a free agent in May and had enough time between then and finally signing with Arizona in July to call the Cardinals’ first offer disrespectful. Once the reality of the lack of offers hit him before training camp began, he vowed upon arriving to play himself into a big pay-day after inking a one-year deal.

The safety is backing that promise up through 10 games, and as his Cardinals prepare for a Sunday meeting with his former team, the Los Angeles Chargers.

“It’s been great,” Wilks said of Boston’s eight games, where he’s tallied 59 tackles, seven passes defensed and a team-leading three interceptions. “Tre is definitely an extension of my voice. Sometimes I think he’s trying to mimic me in some of the things he’s saying on the field.”

Boston spent 2014-16 playing for Wilks with the Carolina Panthers, but his best statistic season came last year with the Chargers. He was second on Los Angeles’ roster with 79 tackles, added eight passes defensed and led the squad with five picks.

He’s looking forward to lining up against his old teammates — and probably has an idea of how to stop the Chargers’ offense led by quarterback Philip Rivers.

“I forgot all the signals. Don’t remember anything we did there. So I’m trying to watch film to get a little bit of what they do,” a sarcastic Boston said Wednesday.

Boston has become the loudest — by volume — voice in the Cardinals’ locker room. He’s lightened the mood for the 2-8 team while at his free safety spot stamping out big plays for a defense that hasn’t put together more than a two-game stretch of consistency.

It’s been that day since Day 1.

On his first day on the job, Boston revealed that his former Carolina teammates compared their then-defensive coordinator, Wilks, to actor Denzel Washington.

Asked Friday if Boston could do a solid Wilks impression, the head coach chuckled.

“No. Not at all. Not even close.”

Flowing mouth of Rivers

Rivers is completing 67 percent of his passes for 9.08 yards per attempt while throwing 26 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

His passer rating this year (112.1) is fourth-best in the NFL, likely thanks to his protection. The Los Angeles quarterback has been sacked just 15 times this year, 28th-most in the NFL.

The 15-year pro has seen it all, but don’t expect Arizona to hold back from its aggressive blitzing identity.

“I think you still have to stay true to what you believe in from a scheme standpoint,” Wilks said. “Philip is a great quarterback. He’s seen a lot of things. But sometimes it’s more (about) confusing the offensive line than anything and maybe also the running back (Melvin Gordon) as far as protection. They do a great job of picking things up, but we definitely got to be aggressive.”

Wilks, who was the Chargers’ defensive backs coach from 2009-2011, said the veteran quarterback’s mannerisms and mouthiness remind him of Cardinals rookie quarterback Josh Rosen.

Though while Rosen has already been said to have dropped some harsh language into his on-field chatter, Rivers uniquely does not.

“Philip is a guy that, he doesn’t say one curse word, not at all,” Wilks said. “And he’s the biggest trash talker. It’s hard. It’s hard for me to be a trash talker and not do that, I’m sorry.”

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