Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers became one of the NFL’s feel-good stories of the year when he returned midseason for the Colts after a nearly five-year retirement.
Though his playing career has come to a close, as the non-contending Colts started rookie Riley Leonard in their regular-season finale Sunday against the Texans, it seems that Rivers could write yet another chapter at the professional level.
According to a Sunday report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the 44-year-old Rivers could become a potential head-coaching candidate in the upcoming cycle, and “the current belief is that Rivers gets at least one opportunity to interview, possibly more.”
The Giants and Titans entered Sunday’s slate as the only teams with head-coaching vacancies, though it’s anticipated that opportunities will swell after the regular season’s conclusion.
According to the report, teams have already begun “doing research on Rivers as a candidate and making background calls.”
This happened last year as well, Rapoport revealed, but Rivers never seemed interested in a return to the NFL — a contention that could have shifted, of course, after his stunning return to the league last month.
While interest should mount, there’s still no guarantee that Rivers will entertain an interview.
Before stepping in for the shorthanded Colts for three games in December, Rivers was already establishing a successful head-coaching career at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.
He took charge of the Cardinals in 2021 after he first hung up his cleats and has led them to a pair of state semifinal appearances.
But the report added that Rivers’ return also “introduced him to an entirely new generation of players and reestablished some of his NFL connections,” both of which could spark interest to stick around.
Based on those strong ties, Rapoport suggests, Rivers could assemble quite the coaching staff.
Rivers joined the “Up & Adams Show” earlier this week and, while not directly asked about the possibility of coaching, provided an intriguing answer about pursuing a career in broadcasting.
“I’ve not ruled it out,” Rivers told Kay Adams on Wednesday. “But every opportunity that’s been close to coming or has come up just hasn’t felt right. … The one thing I’ve loved since I was however old playing this game and being now as a coach is I’ve been able to have some impact on the score.
“You might be good at it, talking about it,” he added, “but I have nothing to do with the outcome of this game.”
Time will tell if Rivers receives — and accepts — an opportunity to continue impacting scores at the NFL level.
