Philip Rivers is in the mix for North Carolina State’s head coaching job, with Cory Smith reporting that the former Chargers and Colts quarterback is interviewing on Wednesday.
The timing is notable, but the connection is obvious. Rivers spent his college years at NC State from 2000 to 2003 before becoming a first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. The school already met with another former star quarterback, Russell Wilson, on Tuesday.
Rivers has already dipped into the coaching search world once before. He interviewed for the Bills’ head coaching job last offseason, then withdrew from that search in January.
His football path has been a long and unusual one. Rivers, 44, was a first-round pick of the Giants in 2004 and was later traded to the Chargers in the deal for Eli Manning. He played out the final season of his five-year, $99 million contract, a deal that included $65 million guaranteed, then moved on in free agency after 16 years with the Chargers.
The Colts brought him in on a one-year contract for 2020, and he was set to become an unrestricted free agent again in 2021. Instead, Rivers retired after the 2020 season, spent time coaching high school football, and then made a surprise return with the Colts at the end of the 2025 season.
That comeback included three appearances in 2025, when he completed 58 of 92 passes for 544 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Over his career, Rivers played in 247 games and finished with 63,440 passing yards, 425 touchdown passes and 212 interceptions. He also rushed for 601 yards and three scores across 17 seasons, and he was selected to eight Pro Bowls.
In Other News...
Chargers May Refuse To Move Tuli Tuipulotu Despite Growing Buzz
Tuli Tuipulotu has become one of the more intriguing names to watch as the NFL trade deadline nears, but the Chargers do not appear eager to turn that interest into a deal. The 24-year-old pass rusher has drawn buzz because of his strong play and the uncertainty around his contract situation, yet Los Angeles is signaling it wants to keep building around its own pieces rather than entertain a move.
The backdrop is simple enough: Tuipulotu is in the final year of his rookie deal, and the long-term picture has already been complicated by failed extension talks. Even with the Chargers stuck in a winless season, the current thinking is that the front office would rather hold onto a productive young defender than shop him for short-term help, which leaves rival teams waiting to see whether that stance changes before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Catch A Break As Texans Backfield Issue Lingers
Houstons backfield situation is still unsettled as the Texans move through Week 9 without David Montgomery, who has been out with a groin injury and remains on the short-term side of the injury spectrum. He has already missed three games, and because Houston never placed him on injured reserve, the door is still open for a relatively quick return if the recovery keeps trending the right way.
For the Chargers, the immediate takeaway is that they may not have to deal with Montgomery when they face a Texans offense leaning on Woody Marks to handle the rushing load. It is the kind of break that can matter in a tight AFC race, especially with Houston still trying to sort out how soon its lead back can get back into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Face One Huge Khalil Mack Deadline Question
With the trade deadline approaching, the AFC West has become a familiar kind of chessboard, with teams trying to improve without giving away too much future value. The Broncos are weighing roster upgrades against the need to protect draft picks, while the Chiefs are looking for help at receiver and the Raiders are sorting through their own personnel questions. In the middle of all that movement, the Chargers have a much simpler but still significant issue hanging over them: what to do with Khalil Mack.
Jim Harbaugh has made it clear Mack remains an important part of what the Chargers are building, even as rumors swirl around the veteran pass rusher. For a team trying to stay competitive in a division loaded with deadline intrigue, the question is less about whether Mack still matters and more about how long that matters can hold up if outside interest keeps building before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]