NFL Legend Philip Rivers' Interview Highlights his NFL Comeback, Young QBs, Top Talents Faced and More

With the Los Angeles Chargers finding themselves amid a 0-3 start to the 2026 NFL season, it is nice to hear what Chargers legend, Philip Rivers is up to giving a nice distraction for fans and media alike

Rivers recently had an interview with the Move the Sticks Podcast hosted by Daniel Jeremiah, who also has strong Chargers ties as the team's color commentator, giving intriguing insight into where he is now post-playing career, while also giving fun memories to the public about his 18-year playing career.

Philip Rivers on High School Football and Coaching

Philip Rivers has served as St. Michael Catholic High School's head coach since 2021, doing so after his first NFL "retirement" in 2020. During this time, he has coached his son, Gunner Rivers, a young four-star QB prospect who is going to N.C. State to follow in his dad's footsteps, going to his alma mater and hopefully helping the program reach new heights.

During this time, as the team's head coach, Rivers discussed that his overpreparation early in his tenure was something he quickly learned to dial back, realizing that the high school level does not have/need the same nuance as the NFL level. He also had to realize that these are high school players who may not love the game the same way he does or NFL players do, as they are students who will likely be playing their last snaps once they graduate.

He also mentions that G. Rivers is expected to return "soon" and help his team turn around their season as they currently sit at 2-3 on the year.

On Coming Back to the League After Four Years Off

Rivers returned to the NFL at the tail end of the 2025 season, surprising the entire NFL world, as he had been retired for four seasons and was expected to pick up an entire offense and play elite defenses in the matter of days.

He did just that, playing at a surprisingly high level. Known for his football IQ, Rivers said that his return to the NFL after four years felt the same "neck up," but "neck down" was a different story. He mentions that NFL defenses are getting much better at being a cohesive unit, with the front seven and back end of defenses both disguising their looks as one, not giving easy tells away to the offense.

Philip Rivers on Young QBs

The longtime NFL QB was asked about his thoughts on younger QBs and the difference in their playing styles compared to his era of QBs. He mentions Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes as guys who can "do it all" and are both physically and mentally advanced.

He does mention that most other QBs, as a whole, are players who are struggling to find their checkdowns and reads beyond their first. "I had to depend on knowing where LT and Sproles and Woodhead were... there's too many guys now that can't do that. They don't know where the secondary, third read checkdowns are."

Could this be a Justin Herbert-related comment considering the discussion of Herbert not seeing his secondary reads well in this new Mike McDaniel offense?

"I had to depend on knowing where LT and Sproles and Woodhead were... there's too many guys now that can't do that. They don't know where the secondary, third read checkdowns are."

Philip Rivers discusses how QB play is different in today's NFL ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ekOw3trq2j
— Move The Sticks Podcast (@MTSPodOmaha) October 1, 2026

Rivers also discusses the time when he sat behind Drew Brees for his first two seasons, saying that it was tough to not be playing but it was beneficial to see everything from different perspective, liking it to Fernando Mendoza's current experience sitting behind Kirk Cousins in the Raiders QB room.

Rivers also discusses working with Josh Allen and Sam Darnold when they were younger, saying that they both had a balance of humility but also confidence in themselves to get things done. He also says their love for the sport was a true difference maker in shaping them into who they are now. He follows up the humility comment with a tidbit from former Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, with Bradley saying that the worst three words to say are "I got it". Basically meaning that by "having it," you are disallowing yourself to look for improvements.

The Interview With the Buffalo Bills & Toughest Players He's Played Against

A headline that shocked the NFL world last season was Rivers being interviewed for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job after Sean McDermott was fired. He mentioned that it was short notice, with him being called on Wednesday and flying out on Friday. He did not have a presentation like most other candidates, just a notebook and himself.

He had to remind himself to just be himself, as that is what got him there. He says four hours flew by during the conversations he had in the building; having the experience helped him grow as a person and coach. Rivers remarks that even though he did not get the job, he was very thankful for the experience.

Moving on, Rivers reminisced about some of the best players he's ever played against, with all the names he lists being: Luke Kuechly, Brian Urlacher, Jared Allen, Von Miller, Ray Lewis and Harrison Smith.

He adds that he has had back-and-forth competitive trash talk with Smith, with both of them going "tit for tat" with different checks at the line. He also mentions that Keenan Allen, Antonio Gates and Danny Woodhead were all elite at being on the same page with Rivers, making his life easier against these top-level NFL defenders.

Rivers will forever be a unique NFL legend and someone who should be respected for decades to come. His view and love for the game are unlike any other, making any media appearance an important piece to cover.

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