Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Philip Rivers

How Philip Rivers built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Philip Rivers is a former NFL quarterback who played for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers. Drafted in 2004, he spent 16 seasons with the Chargers after being traded from the Giants and finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts. Rivers played college football at NC State and is known for his longevity and competitiveness in the NFL. Since retiring from professional football, he has become a high school football coach in Alabama.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1994: Chargers win first playoff games since 1994

In 2007, the Chargers won their first two playoff games since the 1994 season, beating the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts.

2003: Chargers first losing season since 2003

The Chargers' 7–9 record in 2012 was the team's first losing season since 2003, marking a downturn in the team's performance.

August 2004: Contract Signing

In August 2004, Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the San Diego Chargers.

2004: 2004 Draft Class Expectations

Expectations were high for Rivers in 2006 due to the performance of his peers from the 2004 draft, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

2004: Drafted into the NFL

In 2004, Philip Rivers was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants and then immediately traded to the San Diego Chargers.

2004: NFL Draft and Trade

In 2004, Philip Rivers was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants and traded to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for Eli Manning and draft picks.

2004: 2004 NFL Draft Class

In 2004, Philip Rivers was one of 17 quarterbacks drafted into the NFL, including Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

2005: Brees Departure

After the 2005 season, the Chargers did not re-sign Drew Brees, leading to Rivers being named the starter.

2005: First Game Action

In 2005, Philip Rivers entered the Chargers' final game after Drew Brees was injured, completing 12 of 22 passes for 115 yards and leading the Chargers on their only scoring drive.

September 11, 2006: First NFL Start

On September 11, 2006, Philip Rivers made his first NFL start against the Oakland Raiders, leading the Chargers to a 27-0 victory.

November 12, 2006: Comeback Victory Against Bengals

On November 12, 2006, Philip Rivers led the Chargers to an improbable comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, overcoming a 28-7 halftime deficit to win 49-41.

2006: Projected NFL Star

Before the 2006 season, Football Outsiders projected that Philip Rivers would become an NFL star.

2006: Starting Quarterback

In 2006, Philip Rivers became the starting quarterback for the Chargers.

2006: Consecutive Regular Season Starts

In 2006, Philip Rivers began his streak of consecutive regular season starts.

2006: 4th Quarter Comebacks

In 2006, Philip Rivers led several 4th quarter comebacks and posted the league's highest 4th quarter quarterback rating, helping the Chargers to the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.

2006: Named Chargers' Starter

In 2006, Philip Rivers was named the Chargers' starting quarterback.

November 2007: Rivers had lowest passer rating in a single month

In November 2007, Philip Rivers had his lowest passer rating in a single month (68.8).

2007: Chargers win AFC West

In 2007, Norv Turner became head coach, and after a slow start, the Chargers finished 11-5, winning the AFC West for the second straight year. Rivers ended the 2007 season with 3,152 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

2007: AFC Championship Game

In 2007, Philip Rivers led the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game.

2007: Pro Bowl Selection

In 2007, Philip Rivers' performance in the 2006 season led to his selection to the Pro Bowl. After a 14-2 season the Chargers had home field advantage and were set to play the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, the Patriots won that game 24-21, and Schottenheimer was fired amid conflicts with team president Dean Spanos.

2007: Rivers' Lowest Passer Rating

In November 2007, Philip River had his lowest passer rating in a single month (68.8).

December 28, 2008: Rivers sets Chargers record for touchdown passes in a season

On December 28, 2008, Philip Rivers set the Chargers team record for touchdown passes in a season with 34, surpassing Dan Fouts' previous record from 1981.

2008: Rivers ties career-high passer rating

In 2008, Philip Rivers' 105.5 passer rating tied his career high. Rivers had another season with a 105.5 passer rating in 2013.

January 3, 2009: Chargers defeat Colts in Wild Card Round

On January 3, 2009, the San Diego Chargers defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round after Philip Rivers led the team down the field to set up a game-tying field goal, leading to an overtime victory.

August 24, 2009: Rivers signs contract extension with Chargers

On August 24, 2009, Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $92 million contract extension with the Chargers, which included approximately $38 million guaranteed.

2010: Rivers stats compared to Fouts in 2010

In 2010, Nick Canepa compared Philip Rivers' stats to Dan Fouts', noting Rivers' higher completion percentage, passer rating, and lower interception rate.

2011: Rivers compared to Fouts

In 2011, Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune called Rivers a "better quarterback" than Hall of Famer Dan Fouts, citing Rivers' superior stats and fewer mistakes.

2011: Rivers has strong end to 2011 season

Philip Rivers concluded the 2011 season with a strong performance, throwing for 310 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in a win against the Raiders. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the season.

2011: Rivers struggles during the 2011 season

Philip Rivers had a poor performance during the 2011 season, leading to media speculation that he was suffering from an undisclosed injury. The Chargers ultimately missed the playoffs.

2011: Rivers invited to Pro Bowl

Philip Rivers was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl, his fourth invite overall, and started in place of an injured Tom Brady. It was the first time he played in a Pro Bowl.

2012: Rivers ranked in NFL Top 100

In 2012, Philip Rivers was ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.

2012: Rivers starts 100th consecutive game

In 2012, during a win against the Kansas City Chiefs, Philip Rivers started his 100th career game, which was also his 100th consecutive start.

2013: Rivers has career resurgence in 2013

After a few difficult seasons, Philip Rivers experienced a career resurgence in 2013 with a revamped offensive system. He had several high-performance games, set an NFL record for completion percentage, and led the Chargers to the playoffs.

2014: Rivers named Comeback Player of the Year

In 2014, Philip Rivers was named Comeback Player of the Year by both the Associated Press (AP) and Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) after a strong season.

2014: Rivers voted Chargers MVP

In 2014, Philip Rivers was voted MVP by the Chargers after a season with 4,286 passing yards and 31 touchdowns.

August 15, 2015: Contract Extension

On August 15, 2015, Philip Rivers and the Chargers reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension valued at $84 million.

2015: Rivers ranked in NFL Top 100

In 2015, Philip Rivers was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.

October 13, 2016: All-Time Passing Yards Leader

On October 13, 2016, during Week 6, Philip Rivers surpassed Dan Fouts to become the Chargers' all-time passing yards leader.

September 9, 2018: 424 Passing Yards

On September 9, 2018, in the season opener, Philip Rivers threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs.

2019: Final Season with Chargers

2019 was Philip Rivers' last season playing for the Chargers.

February 10, 2020: Departure from Chargers

On February 10, 2020, Philip Rivers and the Chargers mutually agreed that he would not be re-signed, leading him to enter free agency.

March 21, 2020: Signed with Colts

On March 21, 2020, Philip Rivers signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

2020: Playoffs with the Colts

In 2020, Philip Rivers reached the playoffs for the seventh time while playing with the Indianapolis Colts.

2020: End of Consecutive Starts Streak

In 2020, Philip Rivers' streak of consecutive regular season starts ended.

January 20, 2021: NFL Retirement

On January 20, 2021, Philip Rivers announced his retirement from the NFL after seventeen seasons, intending to retire with the Chargers and become a high school football coach.