The Buffalo Bills had an interesting move on Friday. News emerged that the franchise was set to interview former quarterback Philip Rivers for its open head-coaching position. Rivers, 44, recently retired from the NFL to play for the Indianapolis Colts after the season-ending injury of Daniel Jones.
Does it Make Sense For The Bills to Interview Philip Rivers for the HC Job?
Never has a player made an immediate jump to head coach as soon as he stopped playing, even if Rivers had previously retired from the NFL. He worked as a head coach at the high school level, but the difference in operations is huge. NFL circles were shocked by the news of an interview.
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.
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.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 23, 2026
A few analysts, however, tried to make sense of the situation. One of those was Daniel Jeremiah. He explained how Rivers was “basically the OC for at least a decade of his career”, while also pointing out that “he’s a natural leader”.
Albert Breer also tried to look at the situation positively. He mentioned that he shares the same agent as Josh Allen and that his hiring would require plenty of experience within the coaching staff.
Rivers did classroom and field work with Allen to prep him for the ’18 draft. The 2 share an agent.
I’d expect the Bills to get a detailed plan. Ability to build a staff will be key. Rivers has ties to plenty of coaches —Frank Reich, Nick Hardwick, Chris Harris, etc.—out there.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 23, 2026
Rivers played in the NFL from 2004 to 2020. He spent almost his entire career with the Los Angeles Chargers, save for 2020, his final year, when he played for the Indianapolis Colts. He returned to the Colts in late 2025 for a three-game spell to try to salvage their season.
During his playing career, he was voted to the Pro Bowl eight times. He led the league in passing yards (2010), passing touchdowns (2008), and passer rating (2013) in different points. Despite not winning a Super Bowl, he was one of the most consistent quarterbacks of his time.
