Philip Rivers responds to comeback rumor
Sep 20, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) celebrates the win over the Minnesota Vikings after the game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Philip Rivers has responded to a rumor about his potential comeback.
On his radio show Monday, NFL Network host Rich Eisen shared his top five rumors he heard while at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. One of the rumors had to do with Rivers.
Eisen said he heard that Rivers reached out to both the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins ahead of the playoffs to see if they were interested in signing him.
Rich is back from Indianapolis and boy did he hear some things — his Top 5 Rumors Heard at #NFLCombine:
5. Philip Rivers
4. #DaBears
3. Lamar
2. 🧀
1. 🐐#NFL #NFLFreeAgency #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/F08mMCAcGq— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 6, 2023
Rivers last played in 2020 for the Indianapolis Colts. He passed for 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns that season while leading the team to an 11-5 record.
The rumors about the Niners and Dolphins make sense considering both teams were entering the postseason with injuries at quarterback. But Rivers told AL.com that it was the teams that reached out to him, not the other way around.
“I heard from a couple of teams just kind of checking in,” Rivers told AL.com. “I didn’t contact anyone, and I’m not going anywhere. I think maybe some teams, with some guys going down, may have been just looking for a contingency plan, but nothing came of it.”
Late in the 2021 season, one NFC team reached out to Rivers to see if he would be interested in a comeback. The Colts also kept in touch with him during the 2021 season. But Rivers turned down both offers.
Rivers is 41 years old now. While he was previously open to making a comeback, he now says he feels like it’s too late for that to happen.
Rivers is the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic in Alabama. He has gone 12-7 in two seasons. The team went 6-21 in the three seasons prior to him becoming coach.