Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers will be moving on from the NFL after 17 seasons and what was one of the best final campaigns in NFL history.
Though his decision to retire will have a major impact on the Colts and their offseason in trying to replace him, head coach Frank Reich felt honored to be the coach for Rivers’ final season in the league.
In an essay written for Peter King’s Football Morning in America column, Reich detailed how competitive Rivers is. But he also reflected on how grateful he was to coach Rivers in his final year.
“This season, year 17, he was the same guy. Same fire. Never waned. To coach him in his final season was a gift I’ll always be grateful for. That day in Buffalo, the wild-card loss this month, did I know Philip was going to retire? No. But he was definitely lingering in the locker room, savoring every last conversation, like he didn’t want it to end,” Reich wrote. “We had to get to the buses, we had to go, but I stayed in there talking with him for three, four, five minutes.”
Reich also had a pretty funny story about getting to know Rivers and just how the 39-year-old’s competitiveness played a role.
Rivers enjoyed a strong final season both in production and what he meant to the Colts, helping lead them to an 11-5 record and some pretty impressive wins.
The Colts will have to replace the most important position on the roster, and Reich will certainly miss having Rivers leading the quarterback roomin 2021.
