Philip Rivers, who arguably built a Hall of Fame career after entering the NFL in the same draft class with fellow quarterbacks Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, announced his retirement Wednesday from pro football.
“As my playing career comes to an end, the next chapter begins,” Rivers said in a written statement released by the Colts.
He thanked everyone from his teams and coaches to his family, fans “that both cheered and booed” him, staff and teammates. He even thanked opposing players and referees.
“I appreciate the opposing defenses making it challenging physically and mentally every week. … I also enjoyed the banter,” Rivers said. “I appreciate the referees for putting up with all my fussing. I think I was right most of the time dadgummit!”
Rivers had a solid season for the Colts, throwing for 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns and helping them reach the AFC playoffs before they lost to the Buffalo Bills in the opening round. Rivers finishes his career having thrown for 63,440 yards and 421 touchdowns. He’s also fifth all-time in touchdown passes behind Brady, Brees, Peyton Manning and Favre and one ahead of Dan Marino.
On the question of whether Rivers should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Colts owner Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter: “Easily.”
Rivers’s teams made the playoffs seven times without reaching a Super Bowl. Rivers made 240 straight regular season starts and once played the AFC championship game for the Chargers the weekend after suffering a torn ACL in his knee.
“Every year, January 20th is a special and emotional day,” Rivers said. “It is St. Sebastian’s Feast day, the day I played in the AFC championship without an ACL, and now the day that after 17 seasons, I’m announcing my retirement from the National Football League. Thank you God for allowing me to live out my childhood dream of playing quarterback in the NFL.”
Rivers previously had announced plans to coach high school football in Alabama after his retirement from the NFL.
“I can sit here and say: ‘I can still throw it. I love to play,’ ” Rivers told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “But that’s always going to be there. I’m excited to go coach high school football.”
Rivers was chosen fourth in the 2004 NFL draft by the New York Giants out of North Carolina State. He was traded on draft day for Eli Manning, who had signaled through his representatives that he would not play for the Chargers. Roethlisberger went to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 11th pick in that draft.
Rivers fell short of a Super Bowl appearance while Manning and Roethlisberger managed two Super Bowl victories each. But Rivers was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection. He was one of the league’s most durable and productive quarterbacks. He could be eligible for the same class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as Brees, who is widely expected to retire in the aftermath of the New Orleans Saints’ loss Sunday to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC playoffs.
Rivers’s retirement leaves Roethlisberger as the only active player among the big three quarterbacks in the 2004 NFL draft. Manning retired after last season.
The Colts are back in the quarterback market after the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck just before the 2019 season, following one season with Jacoby Brissett at the position and one season with Rivers.
There has been some speculation the Colts might trade for former Philadelphia Eagles starter Carson Wentz, who was benched late this season in favor of Jalen Hurts. That would reunite Wentz with Colts Coach Frank Reich, a former offensive coordinator for the Eagles. But after the Eagles fired Doug Pederson as their coach, they could opt to keep Wentz instead of absorbing the sizable salary cap hit that would come with trading him.
