While the Los Angeles Chargers were fighting for seeding in the playoff picture, on the other side of the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts were desperately just trying to get into the dance. They even brought back Philip Rivers, retired and at the ripe old age of 44, to make a push for the postseason.
It was a nostalgic few weeks for Chargers fans to watch Rivers sling it again, even if he was a shell of himself. Although he never brought a Lombardi Trophy to San Diego or Los Angeles, Rivers left a lasting legacy with the Bolts and is an iconic, legendary figure in the franchise's history.
As highly as fans think of him, however, nobody expected the rumors about him being a legitimate head coach candidate during this year's cycle to come true. However, they did, indeed, come true on Friday, as Rivers is now officially a candidate.
Philip Rivers set to interview with Bills for their HC vacancy
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Buffalo Bills, who fired Sean McDermott earlier this week, are interviewing Philip Rivers for their head coaching vacancy on Friday. A month ago, Rivers was playing. Now, he's in an NFL building for a different reason.
Look, Chargers fans could absolutely see Rivers as a coach. Heck, he's been a high school coach for the last several years. With his intelligence and leadership skills, Rivers has all the makings to be a good NFL head coach. But not so soon.
That said, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah weighed in on Rivers as a head coach candidate, and he made quite the pitch.
"My 2 thoughts on Rivers as HC. 1) He was basically the OC for at least a decade of his career. 2) He has a presence & is a natural leader," Jeremiah wrote. "He needs to surround himself with an outstanding staff. When you play as long as he did, I'm sure he knows what to look for in that area."
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Jeremiah wasn't the only one to sing Rivers' praises. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport praised Rivers as a candidate and even went so far as to say that he has a legitimate shot.
"Buffalo has been looking for a leader. Hard to imagine a better one," Rapoport wrote. "We shall see. But this is pretty real."
"This is pretty real."
It should be noted that the Chargers play the Bills next season, and it sounds like there is at least a chance that Jim Harbaugh will be coaching against a Philip Rivers-led team in 2026. What a trip that would be for Chargers fans.
The NFL, in general, is impossible to predict or get a pulse on. But Rivers becoming a head coach this soon is something that not even the most diehard, Rivers-centric Chargers fans could have fathomed.