Rivers retires after 17 NFL seasons without playing a Super Bowl

Sports Writing (USA), – Quarterback Philip Rivers retires from the National Football League (NFL) competition and ends his 17-year career as one of the most successful passers. prolific.
Rivers, 39, who played last season with the Indianapolis Colts after 16 years with the San Diego Chargers, then converted to Los Angeles, said in a statement that playing quarterback in the NFL was his “dream. of childhood “.

His retirement occurs without ever being able to play in a Super Bowl, the only dream that he could not see fulfilled as a professional.
The quarterback ranks fifth in NFL history with 63,440 passing yards, behind only Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.
The eight-time Pro Bowler is also fifth in league history with 421 touchdown passes, second only to Brady, Brees, Manning and Favre.
Rivers said in his statement that he wanted to announce his retirement on January 20, the Roman Catholic Church holiday for San Sebastian, often known as the saint of athletes.

His announcement came exactly 13 years after the day he played with a torn ACL in the Chargers’ loss to the New England Patriots in the American Conference Championship (AFC) game.
Rivers indicated that “every year on January 20 is special and emotional. It is the feast of San Sebastián, the day I played in the AFC championship without ACL, and now is the day after 17 seasons, I announce my retirement from the National Soccer League. Thank God for allowing me to live my childhood dream of playing quarterback in the NFL. ”
The Chargers congratulated Rivers and tweeted that “there will never be another.” Owner Dean Spanos called it “the heart and soul of the organization” for many years.
Last season, Rivers threw for 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading the Colts to an 11-5 record and a wild card in the AFC playoffs. Indianapolis was eliminated this month with a 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Colts, who added Rivers to provide stability at quarterback after Andrew Luck’s surprising retirement before the 2019 season, also thanked Rivers on Twitter.
Rivers revealed to the San Diego Union-Tribune that he will continue with his plan to coach high school football. Last summer, he took a head coach job at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama where he hopes to coach his sons, just as his father trained him.
His arrival with the Colts came in March with a one-year, $ 25 million contract after 16 seasons with the Chargers, who played the playoffs twice with him as the starter.

The Chargers acquired Rivers in a 2004 college draft day trade that sent top pick Eli Manning to the New York Giants. Manning won two Super Bowls with the Giants and retired in January 2020.
Rivers spent his first two years in San Diego backing Brees before assuming the starting job when Brees became a free agent and joined the New Orleans Saints.

For the next 15 years, Rivers never missed another game, starting at 252, including the playoffs.
Rivers has won 134 career games, and is number two among quarterbacks without a Super Bowl ring, eighth all-time.
Only Brady (230), Peyton Manning (186), Ben Roethlisberger (156), Brees (172) and Favre (186), John Elway (148) and Dan Marino (147) won more regular season games.