Philip Rivers Retires as LA Charger

Rivers retired from football in 2021 but made it clear he wanted to retire a Charger.

Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts gives a thumbs-up on the sidelines in the second half of their game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 13, 2020. Chris Unger/Getty Images

Former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers retired as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers Monday.

Rivers was drafted with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He spent 16 of 17 seasons with the San Diego/LA Chargers and owns multiple franchise passing records. He retired in 2021; at the time, he stated his intent to retire as a Charger but did not fulfill that promise until Monday.

“I think gratitude really is the first thing that comes to mind,” Rivers said in a video announcement, interspersed with clips from his career. “So many highlights and fun Sundays, so many. But what I miss and what I’m most appreciative and thankful for are those relationships, the things that were behind the scenes. What you lived every day, it’s the days at Murphy Canyon, on the practice field. You miss those moments.”

Rivers was drafted by the New York Giants out of North Carolina State with the fourth overall pick in the famously contentious 2004 NFL Draft. The Chargers drafted Eli Manning out of Ole Miss with the first overall pick but Manning refused to play for San Diego. The two teams then swapped quarterbacks, with the Giants throwing in additional draft picks.

Rivers entered the 2004 season as the third-string quarterback behind Drew Brees and Doug Flutie. Brees had two career seasons and led the Chargers to the playoffs in 2004. But he suffered a gruesome shoulder injury in the final game of the 2005 season that hampered contract negotiations in 2006. Brees signed with the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 offseason and Rivers won the starting job. He exploded onto the scene, leading the Chargers to a 14-2 record while passing for 3,388 yards and 22 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. But the Chargers lost to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round.

Rivers again led the Chargers to the playoffs in 2007, going 11-5 while passing for 3,152 yards and 21 TDs with 15 interceptions. He led the team to the AFC Championship Game, famously playing the entire game with a torn ACL in a 21-12 loss to the Patriots. He had a breakout season as a passer in 2008, throwing for 4,009 yards and 34 TDs—a career-high that led the league—and 11 interceptions. He led the league in passing yards in 2010 with 4,710. He led the league in passes and completions in 2015, completing 437 of his 661 passes for a career-best 4,792 yards.

In total, Rivers led the Chargers to the playoffs six times and won four straight AFC West division titles from 2006-2009. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and the 2013 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He started 224 consecutive games for the team and 228 games overall. He holds the franchise record in completions (4,908); passing yards (59,271), passing touchdowns (397); and wins (123).

After 16 seasons, Rivers played his final year with the Indianapolis Colts, leading the team to an 11-5 record and a seventh playoff appearance. He retired from football in 2021, but made clear at the time that he intended to retire as a Charger.

In the video, Rivers recounted some of his favorite memories from his time as a Charger.

“I picture riding down that hill, into Qualcomm [Stadium], and you just go like, ’man, shoot, they’re fired up today,'” Rivers said, becoming emotional. “And seeing the flags and seeing the smoke from the grills going and stuff. That just never got old, you know.”

He also recounted several highlights from his career: the walk off-touchdown run in the Chargers’ 23-17 overtime win against the Colts in the 2008-2009 playoffs; the 49-41 comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006; the 27-20 upset win over the Denver Broncos in 2013; and the 29-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018.

Rivers’ teammates paid tribute to the quarterback.

“There are so many things I can say about Philip Rivers,” former Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson told the team’s official website. “I think the one thing that I will always remember is I never felt like we were going to lose when he was playing quarterback.”

“When somebody comes to work like that, it was hard not to buy into it,” former center Nick Hardwick recalled. “He still found so much joy in all the little things after so many years. That spirit — he was obviously very committed to winning and highly competitive—but you can still keep it in perspective and remember where you’re at.”