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 retired American football quarterback who played 17 seasons in the NFL. Drafted 4th overall in 2004, he spent 16 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers after being traded by the Giants. Known for his unconventional throwing motion and competitiveness, Rivers led the Chargers to multiple playoff appearances but never reached a Super Bowl. He concluded his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. Currently, Rivers is the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School.

Sections (4)

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

1994: First Official Game Start

In 1994, Philip Rivers made his first start in an official game in the seventh grade.

1994: Chargers' First Playoff Win Since 1994

Philip Rivers helped the Chargers win their first playoff game since 1994.

1994: First Playoff Wins Since 1994 Season

The Chargers achieved their first two playoff victories since the 1994 season.

2000: Enrolled at North Carolina State University

In 2000, Philip Rivers enrolled at North Carolina State University and participated in his first practice as a college quarterback in the spring.

2000: Freshman Year at NC State

In 2000, as a freshman, Philip Rivers led NC State to an 8-4 record and a MicronPC Bowl win. He debuted with 397 passing yards and three touchdowns against Arkansas State and earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

2001: Sophomore Year at NC State

In 2001, as a sophomore, Philip Rivers passed for 2,586 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the ACC with a 65.2 percent completion rate. NC State finished the 2001 season with a 7-4 record.

2002: NC State's Best Start

In 2002, Philip Rivers led the Wolfpack to victories in their first nine games, achieving a #10 ranking in the AP Poll, the best start in the school's history. They finished the season with a win over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl.

2003: Passing Yards and Touchdowns

During the 2003 season, Philip Rivers had eight games with over 300 passing yards and four games with over 400 passing yards, along with 29 touchdowns in the regular season. He led the ACC in passing attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns. NC State finished with a 7–5 record and qualified for a bowl game.

2003: Tangerine Bowl Win and ACC Honors

In 2003, Philip Rivers led NC State to a 56-26 win over Kansas in the Tangerine Bowl, throwing for a career-high 475 yards and five touchdowns. He was named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year for the 2003-04 season.

2003: Senior Season at NC State

In 2003, as a senior, Philip Rivers threw for 4,491 yards and 34 touchdowns in 12 games, establishing himself as the most productive and durable quarterback in ACC history.

2003: Setting Up a Remarkable Year

The Gator Bowl victory in 2002, set up a remarkable year for Philip Rivers in 2003.

August 2004: Signed with the San Diego Chargers

In August 2004, Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the San Diego Chargers, which included $14.5 million in signing bonuses. He reported to the team during the last week of training camp and began the season as the Chargers' third quarterback option.

2004: Expectations High

Expectations were high for Philip Rivers in 2006 due to the large amount of talent on the Chargers' offense and the performance of his peers from the 2004 draft.

2004: 2004 NFL Draft

In 2004, Philip Rivers was one of 17 quarterbacks taken in the NFL Draft, alongside Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, all of whom had successful careers.

2004: Drafted into the NFL

In 2004, Philip Rivers was selected fourth overall in the NFL draft by the New York Giants, who then traded him to the San Diego Chargers.

2004: NFL Draft and Trade

In 2004, despite concerns over his arm strength, Philip Rivers was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants and then traded to the San Diego Chargers for Eli Manning and draft picks.

2005: Brees Leaves, Rivers Becomes Starter

After the 2005 season, Drew Brees was not re-signed by the Chargers, leading to Philip Rivers being named the Chargers' starting quarterback going into the 2006 training camp.

2005: First Game Appearance After Brees' Injury

In the Chargers' final game of the 2005 season, Philip Rivers entered the game after Drew Brees dislocated his right shoulder and completed 12 of 22 passes for 115 yards with one interception.

September 11, 2006: First NFL Start

On September 11, 2006, Philip Rivers made his first NFL start against the Oakland Raiders, completing 8 of 11 passes, including one for a touchdown, in a 27-0 victory. After his first game, Rivers led the league in quarterback rating with 133.9.

November 12, 2006: Comeback Victory Against Bengals

On November 12, 2006, Philip Rivers led the Chargers to a comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-41 win after being down 28-7 at halftime.

2006: Projected NFL Star

Before the 2006 season, Football Outsiders projected that Philip Rivers would become an NFL star due to his high completion percentage in college. After just five NFL starts, Rivers was named the second best NFL quarterback under 25 years of age by Sports Illustrated.

2006: Starting Quarterback for Chargers

In 2006, Philip Rivers became the starting quarterback for the Chargers, a position he held until 2019.

2006: Consecutive Regular Season Starts Begin

In 2006, Philip Rivers began a streak of consecutive regular season starts that lasted until 2020.

2006: 4th Quarter Comebacks and High Quarterback Rating

In 2006, Philip Rivers led several 4th quarter comebacks and achieved the league's highest 4th quarter quarterback rating.

2006: Named Chargers' Starter

In 2006, Philip Rivers was named the Chargers' starter going into training camp after Drew Brees was not re-signed.

November 2007: Lowest Monthly Rating Since November 2007

In December 2014, Philip Rivers had his lowest single-month passer rating since November 2007, with a rating of 68.8. This indicates a dip in his performance towards the end of the 2014 season.

2007: AFC West Victory and Season Stats

In 2007, Philip Rivers helped the Chargers turn their season around after a 1-3 start, finishing 11-5 and winning the AFC West for the second straight year. Rivers concluded the 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: Selection to the Pro Bowl

In 2007, Philip Rivers was selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl due to his performance in the prior season. The Chargers, led by Rivers, had the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.

2007: AFC Championship Game Performance with Injury

In 2007, during the AFC Championship Game, Philip Rivers was praised for playing the entire game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, requiring subsequent surgery. His gutsy performance was recognized as one of the NFL's Top 10 Gutsiest Performances.

December 28, 2008: Chargers Team Record for Touchdown Passes

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: Tied Career High Passer Rating

In 2008, Philip Rivers had a career high passer rating of 105.5

January 3, 2009: Wild Card Round Victory

On January 3, 2009, the San Diego Chargers, led by Philip Rivers, defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round, advancing to the AFC Divisional Playoff. Rivers set up Nate Kaeding for a game-tying field goal that would lead to overtime, where the Chargers would go on to win 23–17.

August 24, 2009: Contract Extension with Chargers

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

2010: Oversight of Rivers of Hope Foundation

In 2010, Philip Rivers and his wife began overseeing the Rivers of Hope Foundation, an endeavor to help foster children. The foundation raised more than $1,000,000 for the cause through football camps, a 5K Fun Run, and personal contributions from Rivers.

2011: Comparison to Dan Fouts

Entering the 2011 season, Philip Rivers was called a "better quarterback" than Dan Fouts by Nick Canepa, citing Rivers' completion rate, lower interception rate, and passer rating.

2011: Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Finalist

In 2011, Philip Rivers was named one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his work with the Rivers of Hope Foundation, an endeavor he and his wife oversaw. The foundation supported the San Pasqual Academy, a residential education campus designed specifically for foster teens.

2012: Rivers of Hope Foundation Oversight Ends

In 2012, Philip Rivers ended his oversight of the Rivers of Hope Foundation, which he and his wife had overseen since 2010 to help foster children. The foundation raised more than $1,000,000 for the cause through football camps, a 5K Fun Run and personal contributions from Rivers.

2013: Record for Completion Percentage and Pro Bowl Selection

In 2013, Philip Rivers set an NFL record for completion percentage (83%) for a quarterback who also threw for over 400 yards. He surpassed 30,000 career yards passing and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career.

2013: Playoff Berth Secured

On December 13, 2018, Philip Rivers led the Chargers back from a 14-point deficit to win the game against the Chiefs by a score of 29–28, securing their first playoff berth since 2013.

2014: Rivers Supports Ronald McDonald House Charities

In 2014, Philip Rivers participated in a campaign to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.

2014: Chargers Miss Playoffs

In 2014, the Chargers lost their final game of the season, preventing them from qualifying for the playoffs. Philip Rivers was sacked a career-high seven times in the loss. Despite the team's failure to reach the playoffs, Rivers was voted by the Chargers as their MVP for the season after finishing with 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.

2014: Winning Season But Missed Playoffs

In 2017, Philip Rivers helped lead the Chargers to a 9–7 season, marking their first winning season since 2014. Despite the improvement, the Chargers failed to make the playoffs.

August 15, 2015: Contract Extension with Chargers

On August 15, 2015, Philip Rivers and the Chargers agreed to a four-year, $84 million contract extension, securing his future with the team.

2015: Career Highs and Franchise Records

Despite the disappointing season, in 2015, Philip Rivers set career highs and franchise records with 437 pass completions on 661 pass attempts and 4,792 passing yards, which ranked second among NFL quarterbacks. He finished 11 yards short of breaking the franchise single-season passing yards record held by Fouts.

October 13, 2016: Chargers' All-Time Passing Yards Leader

On October 13, 2016, during Week 6 of the season, Philip Rivers passed Dan Fouts to become the Chargers' all-time passing yards leader, marking a significant milestone in his career with the team.

September 9, 2018: Season-Opening Performance

On September 9, 2018, Philip Rivers threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening 38–28 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, eclipsing 400 yards in a single game for the 10th time in his career. The 424 yards was the most Rivers has thrown for in any of his season openers.

2019: Season with Close Losses

In the 2019 season, Philip Rivers had eight games with over 300 passing yards and seven total with a passer rating over 100. However, the Chargers faced numerous close losses, contributing to a challenging season.

2019: Season Statistics and Team Record

Philip Rivers finished the 2019 season with 4,615 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions—which were the third most in the NFL. His 23 turnovers played a part in the Chargers' 2–9 record in contests decided by a touchdown or less, and the team ended with a 5–11 overall record.

2019: End of Chargers Tenure

Philip Rivers' tenure as the starting quarterback for the Chargers ended in 2019.

February 10, 2020: Departure from Chargers

On February 10, 2020, the Chargers and Philip Rivers mutually agreed that he would not be re-signed, leading him to enter free agency. This marked the end of his long tenure with the team.

March 21, 2020: Signed with Indianapolis Colts

On March 21, 2020, Philip Rivers signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts, beginning a new chapter in his NFL career.

September 13, 2020: First Game with Colts

On September 13, 2020, Philip Rivers played his first game with the Colts, finishing with 363 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions as the Colts lost 27–20 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2020: Passing Milestones and Injury

During the 2020 season, Philip Rivers passed Dan Marino to become fifth on the all-time passing yards list. Additionally, he ruptured his plantar plate during a game against the Green Bay Packers, requiring offseason surgery, though he continued to play with the injury.

2020: Playoffs with the Colts

In 2020, Philip Rivers reached the playoffs for the seventh time in his career, this time as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

2020: End of Consecutive Regular Season Starts

In 2020, Philip Rivers' streak of consecutive regular season starts came to an end.

January 20, 2021: Retirement from the NFL

On January 20, 2021, Philip Rivers announced his retirement from the NFL after seventeen seasons, stating "It's just time. It's just right." He reaffirmed his plans to become the head coach of the St. Michael Catholic High School football team in Fairhope, Alabama.

August 26, 2021: Rivers Wins First Game as High School Coach

On August 26, 2021, Philip Rivers achieved his first victory as a high school football head coach. He led the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals to a 49–0 win.

2021: Head Football Coach

Since 2021, Philip Rivers has been the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

July 21, 2025: Rivers Officially Retires as a Charger

Four years after his initial retirement, on July 21, 2025, Philip Rivers signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Chargers, symbolizing his long and impactful career with the team.