Philip Rivers first announced his retirement from the NFL on January 20, 2021, after the 2020 season with the Indianapolis Colts. As of December 2025, that means he has been retired for just under five years.
Initial retirement
Rivers played his final NFL season in 2020 with the Colts, then publicly announced his retirement on January 20, 2021, ending a 17-season playing career. He transitioned into high school coaching after stepping away from the league.
Time since retirement
From January 20, 2021, to December 2025 is approximately four years and eleven months, so he has been retired a little less than five full years. Even though he later signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire as a Charger in July 2025, that did not change the fact that he has not played since the 2020 season.
