Philip Rivers announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from the NFL, and tributes to the veteran quarterback immediately began pouring in from across the sports world. JJ Watt had one of the best.
Watt shared an awesome story on Twitter about the time Rivers told a Houston Texans defender where to line up. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year said Rivers once pointed at a Texans linebacker before the snap and told him he was in the wrong place.
I’ll never forget lining up for a play and Phil pointing to one of our linebackers and telling him he was lined up wrong based off the blitz we were about to run and being 100% correct about it haha.
One of the smartest I’ve ever played against and a hell of a competitor. https://t.co/1AZxyvDafu
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 20, 2021
Rivers is well respected around the NFL, and deservedly so. He’s a tremendous competitor who played 17 seasons and made 240 consecutive starts. That streak is second behind only Brett Favre’s 297. You can understand why teammates and opponents think so highly of him.
The best quarterbacks in NFL history are the ones that work the hardest and have the best understanding of defenses. Rivers may not have a Super Bowl ring, but Watt’s story is further proof that Rivers’ level of preparation was up there with the best of them.
There has been speculation that Rivers could go into broadcasting, but he already has his next job lined up.
