Eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Phillip Rivers is stepping away from the game in an official capacity, he announced Monday in a video shared to Twitter. For his final farewell, Rivers retired as a Los Angeles Charger, where he spent the bulk of his career when the franchise was based in San Diego.
“I think gratitude really is the first thing that comes to mind,” Rivers said in the heartfelt message. “… What I miss and what I’m most appreciative and thankful for are those relationships.”
philip rivers forever. pic.twitter.com/bgw5vMb2Sz
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 21, 2025
Rivers is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history, winning just about everything other than a Super Bowl. Rivers is sixth in NFL history with 63,440 passing yards, and sixth in touchdown passes with 421.
Rivers was also a famous trash talker in his playing days. Remarkably, doing so without using any profanity whatsoever.
“There are some clips that I look at and just shake my head, and then some. I go, dang. That was a lot of fun,” Rivers said. “Yeah. Is there an edginess to it? Are you trying to get under the skin of the opponent? Of course. Some of it is just a lot of fun. Again, it’s in the backyard.”
Chargers president John Spanos released a statement on Rivers and his impact.
“It’s very meaningful for us because of how important of a player he has been — and still is — for this franchise and all that he accomplished while he was here,” Spanos said.
“It’s about all he did for the team, both on and off the field, how he represented himself, how he competed, the drive he had to succeed and the success that we had when he was here.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.