Veteran NFL quarterback Philip Rivers officially retired on Monday in a move that left many football fans with a strange case of deja vu. After all, hadn’t Rivers already retired from the NFL?
The short answer is yes; Rivers had announced he was calling it quits following the 2020 NFL season.
‘It’s just time,’ he told the San Diego Tribune at the time. ‘It’s just right.’
Despite this, Rivers kept his options open. It was unclear whether he had filed his official retirement paperwork, and his name occasionally appeared as a potential emergency signing. Notably, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan revealed his team would have signed Rivers had it beaten the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 NFC championship game following Brock Purdy’s elbow injury.
Rivers never signed with another NFL team, but he did ink a one-day contract with the Los Angeles Chargers to cap off his career.
Here’s what to know about Rivers’ retirement, as well as the stats from his 17-year NFL career.
When did Philip Rivers retire?
Rivers announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, July 21, in a video posted to the Chargers’ social media account.
Rivers signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Chargers. He spent 16 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Chargers after being acquired in a 2004 draft day trade involving No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning.
‘It’s really, in the past handful of years, been my desire [to retire] as a Charger. It was more so the timing,’ Rivers told Chargers.com. ‘Gratitude is the first thing that comes to mind. Just thankful. Thankful for my time there as a Charger.
‘Sixteen years … a lot of my adult life was there in that organization and around all those people and teammates. I’m overwhelmingly thankful more than anything,’ Rivers added.
Rivers retires as the Chargers’ all-time leader in wins (123), passing yards (59,271) and passing touchdowns (397). He started 224 consecutive games for the franchise before finishing his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020.
‘Thankful for those 16 years, entrusting me to be the quarterback and certainly never took it for granted,’ Rivers said of his time with the Chargers in his retirement video.
Philip Rivers’ last game
While Rivers only signed his final, ceremonial NFL contract on Monday, his last NFL game came during the 2020 NFL playoffs, his lone season with the Colts. Indianapolis lost 27-24 to the Buffalo Bills in a wild-card matchup on Jan. 9, 2021.
Rivers played well in the contest, completing 27 of 46 passes (58.7%) for 309 yards and two touchdowns. He and the Colts had a chance to mount a game-tying or game-winning drive at the end of regulation, but they could not get past Buffalo’s 45-yard line before time ran out.
Below are the highlights from the Colts’ tightly contested loss in Rivers’ final NFL game:
Philip Rivers’ career stats
Rivers retires as the NFL’s sixth-leading passer in terms of yards and touchdowns. He also ranks 18th overall in career passer rating, while his 134 regular-season wins are the ninth-most by a quarterback in NFL history.
Below are the notable stats from Rivers’ NFL career.
- Record: 134-106
- Completion rate: 64.9%
- Passing yards: 63,440
- Passing TDs: 421
- Interceptions: 209
- Passer rating: 95.2
- Rushing yards: 601
- Rushing TDs: 3
Rivers was also voted to the Pro Bowl eight times during his career and was named the Comeback Player of the Year in 2013.
When is Philip Rivers Hall of Fame eligible?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame stipulates a player must be retired for at least five consecutive seasons before being eligible for enshrinement. While Rivers didn’t officially retire until Monday, he hasn’t played in the NFL since 2020. That will make him eligible to be selected into the Hall of Fame beginning in 2026.
That said, Rivers is no shoo-in to make it into the Hall of Fame – especially on the first ballot. His regular-season passing numbers are among the league’s most prolific, but the 17-year veteran didn’t have consistent postseason success. He posted a record of just 5-7 across 12 games and never reached a Super Bowl.
As such, Rivers’ candidacy will serve as a good litmus test for other quarterbacks from his era who posted impressive numbers but didn’t accumulate many major accolades.
