Quarterback Philip Rivers officially announced his retirement and is calling it a career. A long-time starter for the Los Angeles Chargers, Rivers spent the 2020 season with the Indianapolis Colts.
Colts’ QB Philip Rivers is retiring from football, he told @sdutKevinAcee.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2021
Philip Rivers Retires From NFL
Rivers was coming off a downer season in 2019 with the Chargers that led to speculation that Father Time had arrived and that he might retire. However, he had a bounce-back season in 2020 with the Colts, passing for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His touchdown-interception ratio was noticeably improved, and he helped the Colts get to 11-5 and into the playoffs, where they lost in the Wildcard Round to the Buffalo Bills.
Philip Rivers was drafted in 2004 as part of a draft-day swap that sent him from the New York Giants – who “drafted” him at fourth overall – to the Chargers, who sent back their first overall selection Eli Manning after he said he wouldn’t play for the team. Rivers ended up riding the bench with the Chargers for two years until incumbent starter Drew Brees suffered a career-threatening shoulder injury that led the Chargers to move on.
Rivers then became the Chargers starter from 2006 to 2019, never missing a game in the process – not even in the 2007 playoffs when he played with a torn ACL in the AFC Championship game. He made the Pro Bowl eight times with the Chargers (2006, 2009-2011, 2013, 2016-2018). Rivers also led the league in touchdown passes in 2008 (34) and in passing yardage in 2010 (4,710). He was also the NFL completion percentage leader in 2013 at 69.5%. The Chargers had four division titles and six total playoff appearances during his tenure, though they failed to make a Super Bowl during that time.
Rivers ranks fifth all-time on the touchdown pass list at 421, having passed Dan Marino towards the end of the 2020 season. He also has a career total of 64,440 passing yards (also fifth all-time).
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