Philip Rivers: From NFL Star to High School Coach

Philip Rivers, the former NFL quarterback, has decided to step back from a potential head-coaching role with the Buffalo Bills. This choice comes after he interviewed with the team following their recent coaching change. At 44 years old, Rivers has no prior NFL coaching experience, but he has shown confidence in his ability to lead at that level. Rivers has been focusing on coaching his son, Gunner, at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama. The school's football team had an impressive start to the 2025 season, going 13-0 before losing in the state semifinals. Gunner, a highly-rated quarterback, is considered the top player in Alabama for the 2027 class. Despite his interest in coaching at the NFL level, Rivers seems more committed to supporting his family and his son's high school career. He mentioned that he is looking forward to coaching Gunner during his senior season and hopes to help the team achieve greater success.Before Rivers, the Bills had interviewed several other candidates for the head-coaching position, including their offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll, and Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Other candidates like Anthony Lynn, Anthony Weaver, and Grant Udinski have also been considered. Rivers had a successful NFL career, playing for the Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts. He retired after the 2020 season but made a brief return in 2025 to play for the Colts after their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, suffered a season-ending injury. In his comeback, Rivers threw for 544 yards and four touchdowns before being benched in favor of rookie Riley Leonard. Throughout his career, Rivers achieved numerous accolades, including eight Pro Bowl selections and ranking sixth all-time in passing touchdowns and eighth in passing yards. He is also the Chargers' all-time leader in both categories. Rivers was a semifinalist for the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame class, and his brief return from retirement pushes his candidacy to 2031.