Tag: Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers might’ve started Super Bowl for 49ers if they won NFC championship game

Had the 49ers pulled off a miracle and beat the Eagles in the NFC championship, Philip Rivers might’ve been the next man up at QB.

The 49ers were probably not going to beat the Philadelphia Eagles once quarterback Brock Purdy went down with a torn UCL in the first quarter of the NFC championship game. If they had pulled off a miracle and won the game, it would’ve led to perhaps the biggest story in NFL history.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the Athletic’s Tim Kawakami that veteran QB Philip Rivers was one of the potential options to start the Super Bowl for San Francisco.

With neither Trey Lance nor Jimmy Garoppolo on track to be healthy enough to play, the 49ers’ head coach was ready to pull out all the stops.

“Whole thing I’m just thinking is, ‘Man, I hope Brock’s not as bad as they’re saying and what’s going to be our Plan B? Are we going to have to get Philip Rivers, someone like that, for the Super Bowl?’” Shanahan told Kawakami. “Because that’s what I’m thinking. ‘Cause I didn’t think Jimmy was going to be ready and all I’m thinking is, ‘Man, I hope Brock is not bad as bad as they’re saying and someone like Philip Rivers is working out and ready to go here in two weeks because that’s still our plan.’ And when I accepted reality, it took me a while to get over.”

This is a fascinating addition to something NFL Network host Rich Eisen discussed on his radio show. He said one of the big rumors rolling around the 2023 combine was that Rivers contacted both the 49ers and Dolphins about possibly starting for them after they suffered multiple QB injuries.

It appears now the 49ers were ready to call him back had they pulled off a miracle and knocked off the Eagles with Josh Johnson under center.

Had Rivers started the Super Bowl for the 49ers – his first Super Bowl appearance after 17 NFL seasons – it would’ve been a huge deal. If he went on to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs – it might have gone down as perhaps the greatest Super Bowl story of all-time.

Alas, the 49ers got thumped 31-7 in the NFC title game and any potential call to Rivers or another veteran QB became unnecessary.

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Former Chargers QB Philip Rivers, wife expecting 10th child

Philip Rivers can now form a starting offense with him and his kids.

Former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers can now form a starting offense with him and his kids.

Rivers announced that he and his wife, Tiffany, are expecting their tenth baby together, per AL.com’s Ben Thomas.

“We’ve had one pretty much every two years, and now this is the longest gap,” Rivers said. “We are all fired up. Everyone was pulling for a boy. Even our girls wanted a boy.”

Rivers added that they will be having a boy who is expected to be born sometime in the fall.

Currently, the family consists of seven girls and two boys, ages 4 to 21.

Gunner, Philip’s oldest son, will be the starting quarterback for St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, AL, which is the high school Rivers has been coaching for after retiring from the NFL. Entering Year 3 as head coach, Rivers has a record of 11-8.

Rivers spent 16 years with the Bolts, including 14 as the starting quarterback. He amassed 59,271 passing yards and 397 touchdown passes, ranking first in franchise history in both categories. He had a record of 123-101, making the playoffs six times and going 5-6 in 11 postseason games.

In his final NFL season, Rivers led the Colts to an 11-5 record with 24 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He threw for 4,169 yards, which was the eighth straight season he topped 4,000 yards through the air.

Best Chargers draft pick by year since 2000

Taking a look at the best draft pick by each year for the Chargers over the past couple of decades.

The Chargers have seen a slew of top players roll through the franchise over the past couple of decades.

With the draft just a month away, let’s take a look at the best picks for the Bolts since 2000:

49ers involved in Philip Rivers rumor

The #49ers were involved in a weird NFL combine rumor.

The NFL combine is a place where teams can get medical evaluations on draft prospects, meet with the players and watch them work out in person. It’s also a place where NFL and media personnel get together and get the league’s rumor mill rolling.

NFL Media’s Rich Eisen on his radio show rolled through the five best rumors he heard at the combine, and one of them included the 49ers and veteran quarterback Philp Rivers.

“I heard at the combine … that Philip Rivers contacted both (the 49ers and Dolphins) to come back late last year,” Eisen said. “Philip Rivers contacted both of them is what I heard and that’s the way I heard it. It didn’t happen. Don’t know why it didn’t happen, but I heard at the combine that Philip, once his season was over, is kinda like ‘so the 49ers are going with Mr. Irrelevant?'”

Rivers, who retired after the the 2020 season, is now coaching high school football in Alabama. Whether he contacted the 49ers or not is not of super serious consequence. He turned 41 in early December and was two years removed from his last NFL snap. San Francisco opted to add Josh Johnson, who was with the team in 2020, instead.

The good news for the 49ers is their QB situation wasn’t so dire that they had to use the services of someone like Rivers if he did call. Brock Purdy played well enough that finding a new starting QB wasn’t really necessary, and it’s hard to believe Rivers would’ve wanted to be a backup anyway.

This rumor may or may not ever be confirmed, but the 49ers avoided ever needing to worry about it thanks to the play of their seventh-round rookie QB.

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Rumor: Philip Rivers wanted to play for Dolphins in 2022

The former Charger and Colt may have wanted to make South Florida his home for a bit.

Near the end of the Miami Dolphins’ 2022 season, they were down to third-string rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson to lead their team after injuries to both Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater.

Thompson ended up starting the franchise’s first postseason game since 2016 in a losing effort to the Buffalo Bills.

However, they may have had a veteran option to take over if needed. According to Rich Eisen, rumors swirled at the NFL combine that the Dolphins were one of two quarterback-needy teams that were contacted by Philip Rivers for a return down the stretch. Eisen noted that the San Francisco 49ers, who were down to seventh-round pick Brock Purdy after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, were the other team.

In an offense that had the ability to be explosive with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, Rivers may have been better suited to lead them to a playoff win even at his advanced age.

At the same time, getting him into a new system and having him learn a playbook so quickly likely would’ve been an issue, so it’s not that crazy to see why it didn’t happen.

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Report: Former Chargers QB Philip Rivers expressed interest in NFL return in 2022

Former Chargers QB Philip Rivers considered coming out of retirement this past season.

Former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers considered coming out of retirement this past season.

According to NFL Media’s Rich Eisen, he heard from multiple sources at the combine that Rivers reached out to the Dolphins and 49ers about potentially suiting up for them.

“I heard at the combine that Philip Rivers contacted both of them to come back late last year,” Eisen said. “Which is what I heard and the way I heard it. I didn’t happen, don’t know why it didn’t happen. But I heard that at the combine.”

San Francisco had been down to their third-string quarterback, Brock Purdy, late in the season and the playoffs after season-ending injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Rivers probably felt he still had some juice to help them on their run.

Rivers last played in 2020 for the Colts after spending 16 years with the Chargers. Rivers has been the head football coach at St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope, AL for the last two years.

This is notable heading into the upcoming season, with there being plenty of quarterback-needy teams. So if Rivers still wants to make a return at age 41, there could be some squads that would be interested in his services.

Rivers spent 16 years with the Bolts, including 14 as the starting quarterback. He amassed 59,271 passing yards and 397 touchdown passes, ranking first in franchise history in both categories. He had a record of 123-101, making the playoffs six times and going 5-6 in 11 postseason games.

In his final NFL season, Rivers led the Colts to an 11-5 record with 24 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He threw for 4,169 yards, the eighth straight season he topped 4,000 yards through the air.

Philip Rivers considered a 2022 comeback with Dolphins, 49ers if you believe combine rumors

Does Rivers have something left in the tank?

Former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers has spent two seasons away from the league, but according to the rumor mill at last week’s NFL scouting combine, he was mulling a potential return as recently as late last season.

Rivers, who turned 41 in December, last played in the 2020 season for the Indianapolis Colts after spending 16 years with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He was seemingly content with retired life and has spent the last two years as the head coach at St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

But according to NFL Network radio host Rich Eisen, Rivers may be antsy to get back in the pads. Eisen said that he heard from multiple sources at the combine that Rivers reached out to both the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers late last season about potentially coming out of retirement.

“I heard at the combine… that Philip Rivers contacted both of them to come back late last year,” Eisen said on his show. “Which is what I heard and the way I heard it. Didn’t happen, don’t know why it didn’t happen. But I heard that at the combine.”

If Rivers had ultimately returned to the league last season, either of those landing spots would have made a good deal of sense. Due to injuries, both were down to their third-string quarterbacks for playoff runs, most notably San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, who nearly led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance as a rookie and reigning Mr. Irrelevant.

Ultimately, it didn’t work out, and there’s no reason to think Rivers is still pondering a potential return. But there are certainly a number of quarterback-needy teams this offseason, and there’s a chance he’d have some suitors if he were to explore a comeback this offseason.

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7 things to know about new Colts head coach Shane Steichen

The Colts have hired Shane Steichen as the new head coach. Here are seven things to know.

The Indianapolis Colts are hiring Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach, making him the team’s 11th head coach since arriving in Indianapolis in 1984.

After an extensive five-week search that included as many as 13 candidates, the team lands one of the brightest young minds in football.

Here are seven things to know about new head coach Shane Steichen:

What went right, what went wrong for the Colts in 2022

Taking a look at what went right and what went wrong for the 2022 Colts.

As the offseason continues to unfold, more reflection about the Indianapolis Colts’ previous season naturally rises to the surface before we begin to look ahead into 2023.

Here’s what went right and what went wrong for the Colts in 2022:

Photos from last Gator Bowl to feature Notre Dame

If you don’t remember this game, you probably have blocked it from your memory.

The bowl matchups are out, and where Notre Dame is headed should come as no surprise. Almost every bowl projection before Sunday had the Irish in the Gator Bowl, and that’s exactly where they’re headed. The Irish will meet South Carolina, a program they have clashed with four times before but not at all since 1984. This year’s game will be played at 3:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 30 in Jacksonville, Florida.

This will be the Irish’s fourth Gator Bowl, and they have no place to go but up after their last appearance in the 2003 edition. [autotag]Tyrone Willingham[/autotag] had led the Irish to a 10-2 regular-season record in his first season, but that didn’t matter to Philip Rivers and NC State. Rivers threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-6 trouncing of the Irish. It didn’t help that [autotag]Pat Dillingham[/autotag] threw three interceptions.

Here are some images from a game that proved to be a sign of things to come for the rest of Willingham’s tenure: