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Philip Rivers announces retirement after 17 year career, but has a future in football

By Josh Hill

MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 29: Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers waves to the crowd against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 29: Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers waves to the crowd against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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After nearly two decades playing quarterback in the NFL, Philip Rivers is going to call it a career. 

It’s truly the end of an era for the NFL.

While we await official word on what the future holds for Drew Brees, another monolithic quarterback from the last two decades is calling it a career.

On Wednesday, former Chargers and Colts quarterback Philip Rivers announced his retirement from football after a 17 years career.

Rivers made the announcement to Kevin Acee, who covered the quarterback during his time with the San Diego Chargers.

"“It’s just time,” Rivers told the Union-Tribune late Tuesday night from his home in Indianapolis, where earlier this month he completed his only season with the Colts. “It’s just right.”"

After one year of playing with the Chargers in Los Angeles, Rivers took his talents to Indianapolis where he helped the Colts get back to the playoffs for the second time since 2014 and the first time in the post-Andrew Luck era.

Philip Rivers is retiring to go coach High School football

It appears that coaching is what lies ahead for the now former quarterback. Rivers told Acee that the allure of coaching high school football is what helped him come to peace with the decision to walk away from the professional ranks.

“What has helped me come to this (decision) is the growing desire to coach high school football,” he said. “That’s what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s been growing. I can’t wait.

Many analysts and smart Football People look to the high school level to see what the game will look like professionally in a handful of years. Rivers taking his talent from Sundays to Fridays seems to be in indication that we haven’t seen the last of him in the NFL.

But in the meantime, the league continues to undergo a true changing of the guard. Along with Rivers, Drew Brees is expected to retire this offseason with Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger not far behind him.

As the old guard rides off into the sunset, the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray and others are taking their place. But an NFL without Philip Rivers is truly going to be different; we are entering a whole new era for the NFL while we wave goodbye to the one that has become so familiar over the last twenty years.

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