Philip Rivers, 2016

Philip Rivers (1981- ) is a former National Football League (NFL) quarterback who played 17 seasons in the league until 2021. He notably returned to the league in December 2025 to play three games for the Indianapolis Colts. A native of Morgan County, Rivers had a successful high school career in Alabama and played college football at North Carolina State University. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the NFL draft in 2004. Rivers is considered one of the most successful NFL quarterbacks in the early twenty-first century. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Rivers was born on December 8, 1981, to Steve and Joan Rivers in Decatur, Morgan County; he has two younger siblings. Rivers spent his early years watching his father coach football practices at Decatur High School. His father did not let Philip play organized football during elementary school, so he played in his first officially regulated game in 1994, when he was in the seventh grade. After Steve Rivers took a head football coaching job at Athens High School in Athens, Limestone County, Rivers transferred there and had a successful year as the team’s quarterback. Although Rivers received several offers to play college football, none of the schools promised him that he would have substantial playing time as quarterback.

After graduating from high school in 1999, Rivers chose to attend North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, North Carolina, because he believed that in-state schools like Auburn University or the University of Alabama would not offer him playing time as quarterback. His brother, Stephen, would play college football as well and ended his college career at Northwestern State University in Louisiana.

Rivers started at quarterback in the 2000 season, leading his team to an 8-4 record, including a victory in the MicronPC.com Bowl (present-day Tangerine Bowl) in Orlando, Florida, against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Rivers’s sophomore season in 2001 also saw a winning record. The Wolfpack won seven games, and Rivers led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with a completion percentage at 65.2 percent. Although NC State made it to the Tangerine Bowl in 2001, they lost to ACC rival University of Pittsburgh 34-19. Rivers married his long-time girlfriend, Tiffany Goodwin, in 2001. As of early 2025, the couple has seven daughters and three sons.

The 2002 season saw Rivers and NC State achieve a 9-3 record. Rivers would win most valuable player (MVP) in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who were at one time that season ranked as the sixth best team in the nation. Dominating the Fighting Irish 28-6, Rivers threw for more than 200 yards and had two touchdown passes. During his senior season in 2003, Rivers set career highs in passing yards (4,491) and touchdowns (34). Although the team won only seven games, NC State made it to a fourth bowl game in as many years. Rivers’s last collegiate game was a 56-26 win over the University of Kansas Jayhawks in another Tangerine Bowl. Rivers won game MVP and ACC Player of the Year. He finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting and held almost every NC State and ACC passing record when he graduated.

Standing at 6 feet, 5 inches, and weighing more than 220 pounds, Rivers was considered a top NFL prospect during the 2004 draft. He was selected fourth in the draft by the New York Giants, but the Giants had agreed to a draft-day deal with the San Diego Chargers. Because University of Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning did not want to play for the Chargers, the Chargers agreed to draft Manning in the first overall pick and then trade him to the Giants in return for Rivers. Rivers signed a six-year contract with the Chargers worth $40.5 million.

Rivers received little playing time during his rookie and sophomore seasons in San Diego. But starting quarterback Drew Brees was not re-signed for the 2006 season after an injury, and Rivers made his debut on September 11, 2006, against division rival Oakland Raiders. In his first full season, Rivers impressed fans with 22 touchdowns, just nine interceptions, and 3,388 yards passing; that season, the Chargers led the league in scoring while amassing a 14-2 record. Rivers also was selected to what would be the first of eight Pro Bowl appearances. Although the Chargers had homefield advantage, they fell to the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs by a score of 24-21.

In the 2007 season, Rivers led the 11-5 Chargers into the playoffs and won his first two playoff games, against the Tennessee Titans (17-6) and Indianapolis Colts (28-24). In the AFC Championship game, though, Rivers and the Chargers lost again to league MVP Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots, 21-12. During the 2008 season, Rivers returned to the Pro Bowl. He led the league in touchdowns (34) and passer rating (105.5). The Chargers made it to the playoffs once more but lost to future Superbowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-24. San Diego rewarded Rivers with a new contract totaling six years and $92 million dollars.

From 2009 until 2018, Rivers and the Chargers only made the playoffs twice, in 2009 and 2013. The team did not move beyond the second round of the playoffs either time. During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, the team had very poor seasons, winning 9 out of 32 games. One highlight for Rivers in 2015 was passing for 503 yards in a loss against the Green Bay Packers. After the 2016 season, the Chargers relocated to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Chargers improved to 9-7 in the 2017 season but missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.

In 2018, Rivers put together a good season, throwing for 4,308 yards and 32 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. Likewise, the team improved to 12-4. They won a playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens (23-17) but lost the following week against the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, 41-28. The 2019 season was a step back for the Chargers. The team finished 5-11 as Rivers threw 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. The Chargers and Rivers parted ways in February 2020; he signed a one-year, $25 million dollar contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Rivers led the Colts to the playoffs in his first and only year, but they lost their first-round playoff game to the Buffalo Bills, 27-24, on January 9, 2021. Following the loss, Rivers retired from the NFL on January 20. Rivers then became the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Baldwin County. Since his arrival, the school has had multiple winning seasons and is ranked in the top 50 high school football programs in Alabama. In December 2025, at age 44, Rivers rejoined the Colts, who needed an experienced quarterback while chasing a spot in the playoffs. He started three games for the Colts and although he played admirably, they lost those games and their final one, missing the playoffs.

Rivers is Roman Catholic and socially conservative. The Rivers family is heavily involved in social causes and has previously assisted foster children through the Rivers of Hope Foundation (2010-2012), education initiatives, and youth athletic camps.