Philip Rivers is Retiring to Become a High School Football Head Coach

For some, retirement means walking away from the game you’ve put so much into over the years.

But for Philip Rivers, it’s an opportunity to give back by participating in a way that will give him a new perspective:

“It’s just time.”

Philip Rivers retiring from NFL after 17 seasons.https://t.co/Ht6xSIska9

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) January 20, 2021

Well, that’s kinda wild. Not only is Rivers retiring from football, he is doing so and transitioning into becoming the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama. It’s something Rivers has long wanted, and will finally get to try his hand at starting this season. Good for him.

Rivers, 39, finishes his career with 63,440 passing yards and 421 touchdown passes in a journey that saw him earn 8 Pro Bowl appearances and win the 2013 Comeback Player of the Year Award. The fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft led went to the postseason seven times in 17 seasons. Six of those were with the Chargers organization (five of which came while the team was in San Diego). It’s been a decorated career for the North Carolina State product, to be sure.

Circling back to the NFL side of Rivers’ retirement, there are certainly quarterback market implications with his departure. We’ve always expected to see the Colts to be in the market for long-term quarterbacking options. But Rivers’ retirement puts them squarely in a place to bring on someone right away, rather than a potential understudy who waits out a year and learns under a veteran. In other words, add one more team to the group the Bears will be competing with for quarterback help.