As the new NFL year approaches on March 15, franchise tags and free agent rumors swirl, here’s another one: Philip Rivers might want to come out of retirement.
Rich Eason just got back from the NFL Scouting Combine, and put together a list of the top five rumors he heard from multiple sources in Indianapolis, and his number 5 on the list was that Rivers had two NFL picks before the playoffs actually started. Contacted the teams. See if his services are needed.
Rivers, 41, was never signed.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Krause, File)
“We all know two teams that were quarterback-needy at the end of the season,” Ison began. “There was a chance to start a third-stringer and go into the playoffs and maybe make a deep run in the playoffs, referring to the Miami Dolphins, and of course, the San Francisco 49ers. I heard at the combine that Philip Rivers contacted both of them. Years will come back late.”
Instead, the 49ers went with Brock Purdy, “Mr. Relevant” as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that was expected given how well he was playing. The Dolphins went with Skyler Thompson, another seventh-round rookie who nearly upset him so badly in Buffalo before the Bills were shut out.
But can Rivers still find the team that wants him?
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The New Orleans Saints reportedly tried to bring their legend Drew Brees and Rivers out of retirement for one week during the 2021 season. Both quarterbacks declined.
Speaking in August 2021, Rivers, who was the first-year head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, did not rule out a return to the league.
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers #17 and wide receiver Vincent Jackson #83 celebrate after hooking up on a 55 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Qualcomm Stadium on September 25, 2011 in San Diego, California. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
“I’m not there at all,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m getting back out there. If I had to report last week I wouldn’t have gained weight, that’s for sure. But I’m getting back into lifting and running, and shooting, I’m here occasionally. Let’s throw a ball. This summer. It’s not too hard to have a good salad.
“I’m just going to be ready. I want to make sure I’m very clear: I’m not predicting that I’ll be playing in December or January, for that matter. One, you have to have someone who Who wants you. , and two, it must be right. But I haven’t completely ruled it out.”
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The Saints no longer need a quarterback, as they reportedly signed Derek Carr to a four-year deal that takes him off the board. Aaron Rodgers is another wild card teams are waiting to hear from.
But, as the NFL has shown us before, quarterbacks coming out of retirement is nothing new. Tom Brady did it last season. Heck, Brett Favre did it three times.
Rivers spent 16 years with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, collecting eight Pro Bowls and becoming the team’s all-time passing leader with 59,271 yards over 228 games. Rivers was famously traded to the Chargers during the 2004 NFL Draft, where the Giants selected him fourth overall in a trade for Eli Manning.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers runs Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif. in watches from the sideline during the first half of the Chargers’ NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
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Rivers’ last season in the league was with the Indianapolis Colts, a team that went 11–5 during the 2020 season but lost in the wild-card round. Many didn’t believe it was a flash in the pan in Indy, but Rivers announced his retirement after the season.
