Although he never played in the Super Bowl, Philip Rivers is retiring with an excellent reputation. Many know him for playing number seventeen in honor of his father, and he has been a huge part of the NFL throughout his career. 

Rivers has always had a huge amount of drive, passion, and energy, which allowed him to lead numerous teams to championship and conference wins. From setting college records to climbing the leaderboard, he has always been a consistent quarterback. 

Even if he didn’t make the Super Bowl, these are some reasons why Rivers deserves a Hall Of Fame induction. Check out the latest NFL spreads for more information, and to look out for the next Philip Rivers. 

College Football

Having stood out as the best prep passer in the state as a High School football player, Rivers received numerous offers from colleges. He started at North Carolina State and joined the football team in January 2000. 

It didn’t take long for Rivers to lead NC State to victory against Minnesota, securing a record of 8-4. He set his fair share of school records as a Freshman, including the half-dozen school passing mark. 

Rivers also won the Atlantic Coat Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Week eight times. College really was his time to shine, as he could work on his form, stats, and passing rates. During his sophomore year, Rivers led the ACC with a 65.2 passing mark.

At the end of his college career, Rivers had set new passing records for NC State and the ACC. He led his team to four consecutive bowl games and started 52 games. 

Rivers graduated from college as the 13th all-time Division I quarterback, and number seventeen was retired by the school at the end of his college career.   

San Diego/ Los Angeles Chargers

Despite some concerns regarding his throwing style, Rivers was selected during the 2004 drafts by the Chargers manager. Marty Schottenheimer was confident with Rivers’ ability to achieve success, as he had previously coached him in the Senior Bowl. 

Rivers spent most of his first two seasons on the sidelines, due to the Chargers having more experienced quarterbacks. 2006 allowed Rivers to shine a little more. He led the team to a comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Chargers became the first NFL team to win back-to-back games on the road after trailing by 17 or more points that year. 

During the 2007 season, Rivers led the Chargers to their second consecutive AFC West win and winning their first two playoff games since 1994. The quarterback was on the field consistently during this time, all while suffering with a severely injured knee that eventually required surgery. 

Indianapolis Colts

Rivers played to an incredibly high standard under the Chargers until 2019, when it was mutually agreed that he would become a free agent. He joined the Indianapolis Colts in March 2020 under a one-year contract. 

He finished his single season with the Colts, totaling 4,169 passing yards and 11 interceptions. The respectable performance continued to place Rivers in high demand as an NFL quarterback, but he decided it was time to retire at the end of his season with the Colts. 

Records

Rivers has led an impressive career with an enormous selection of records to his name. Some of these include the highest completion percentage at the time of his retirement, with 83.3% in a 400+ yard passing performance.

Additionally, the quarterback gained many awards for his accomplishments. This includes being named the Most Valuable Player in 2009 by Pro Football Focus.  Rivers was also the NFL Passing Yards leader in 2010, and NFL passer rating leader in 2008. He also ended his NFL career with eight Pro Bowl selections. 

Thanks to a consistent career and range of achievements, Rivers was also named the Comeback Player of the Year on multiple occasions. Many have said that his career deserves to be honored in the Hall of Fame for the range of achievements and records which Rivers has. 

Summary

Philip Rivers is a highly respected member of the NFL who spent the majority of his professional career under the San Diego/ Los Angeles Chargers. Manager Schottenheimer took a risk, but it certainly paid off. 

Having coached Rivers in college, he knew what the young player was capable of, and made Rivers a quarterback. Although he did not have a great deal of time on the field during his first few seasons, Rivers made up for this when he had the chance.