Rivers retires after 17 seasons
Philip Rivers announced last week he has decided to retire after 17 seasons in the NFL. He spent the first 16 with the Chargers in San Diego and Los Angeles and the final season reuniting with Frank Reich in Indianapolis to get the Colts back to the playoffs with an 11-5 record.
“It’s just time,” Rivers told The San Diego Union-Tribune, who first reported the news. “It’s just right.”
Brought in to get the Colts back in contention after Andrew Luck’s retirement sent a playoff team spiraling to 7-9 in 2019, Rivers played better than just about anybody expected this season.
Back with Reich, who’d coached him for three seasons in San Diego, Rivers completed 68% of his throws for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, leading the Colts to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.
Rivers played well in the Colts’ wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills, too, completing 27 of 46 throws for 309 yards and two touchdowns, although he wasn’t able to complete a furious Indianapolis comeback in a 27-24 defeat that went down to the final seconds.
The longtime Chargers legend, a player likely to be strongly considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after five years have expired, retires with a laundry list of accolades.
Rivers, an eight-time Pro Bowler, ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time lists in passing yards (63,440) and touchdown passes (421), and his 240 consecutive regular-season starts places him in a tie with Minnesota center Mick Tinglehoff for third all time, trailing only Packers legend Brett Favre and Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall.