How Retired Quarterback Philip Rivers Came Close to Playing in Super Bowl LVII

Philip Rivers retired from the NFL in 2020 and never played in a Super Bowl. But had things gone the San Francisco 49ers’ way last season, Rivers could have been playing for a Super Bowl ring in February. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed on Thursday they were planning to sign Rivers to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. 

“He was prepared to,” Shanahan said, per ESPN. “Now that’s stuff we talked about throughout the whole year. We would’ve had to have seen how that was for the Super Bowl, but that was the plan most of the year.”  

In the NFC Championship game in January, the 49ers took on the Philadelphia Eagles and lost 31-7.  Starting quarterback Brock Purdy was taken out of the game due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Backup QB Josh Johnson took his place but suffered a concussion. Purdy returned to the game but could not throw, giving the Eagles the opportunity to advance to the Super Bowl. Earlier in the season, the 49ers lost quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to a broken ankle and broken foot, respectively. 

Had the 49ers won the game, the team would have added Rivers to the roster, giving him a chance to win his first title. In his career, Rivers played 17 seasons for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and ranks sixth all time in passing yards (63,440) and touchdowns (421). 

In March, Rivers spoke to AL.com about a potential return to the NFL. “I heard from a couple of teams just kind of checking in,” he said. “I didn’t contact anyone, and I’m not going anywhere. I think maybe some teams, with some guys going down, may have been just looking for a contingency plan, but nothing came of it.”

Rivers continued: “I think in my mind in the last couple of years if a team had needed me, I might have had six or eight games left in me, but I’m not going into this fall thinking the same. I think it’s done.” Rivers is currently the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.