Phillip Rivers has withdrawn from the hiring process for the Buffalo Bills head coaching position. This is what Mike Garafolo of ESPN reported Monday morning.
Rivers would have enjoyed being involved in this process and it would not be surprising if he was considered for such a position in the future, but “it’s not the right time for him and his family,” according to Garafolo.
The former quarterback, who made a brief return to play with the Indianapolis Colts last season, was interviewed by the Bills for the position left vacant after the firing of Sean McDermott following the Bills’ elimination in the second round of the playoffs.
Rivers was the fourth candidate to be interviewed since the Bills’ recruiting process began last Wednesday.
The Bills became the 10th team to have to replace their head coach this season.
The Bills also met with former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who previously served as the Colts’ offensive coordinator. Current offensive coordinator Joe Brady and current defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo also went through the hiring process.
Owner Terry Pegula decided to fire McDermott after a 33-30 overtime loss in Denver in the American Association semifinals. McDermott led the Bills to seven straight 10-win seasons, but he never guided the team to the Super Bowl.
Earlier in his career, Rivers was a mentor to Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who is actively involved in the process of selecting a new coach.
“Philip is one of the greatest players of all time,” Allen said last month, when Rivers came out of retirement. We’ll see. I support him, because he is a great person. »
Rivers played for 17 seasons before initially retiring in 2021 and taking over the football program at St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama. His last playoff game was the Colts’ loss to the Bills in the first playoff round of the 2020 season.
Rivers joined the Colts after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending ruptured right Achilles tendon and while junior backup Riley Leonard was recovering from a right knee injury.
He spent his first 16 seasons with the Chargers and set team records with 59,271 air yards and 397 touchdown passes. His 63,984 passing yards rank eighth in NFL history, and he is sixth with 425 touchdown passes.
