It's official: Philip Rivers interviewed with the Bills on Friday, January 23, 2026, in Florida for their head coach position. The legendary quarterback, who recently came out of retirement, is now in the mix as Buffalo searches for Sean McDermott's replacement.
Rivers retired after one season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, but rejoined the team in December when Daniel Jones tore his right Achilles, starting three games as the Colts went 0-3. Before his recent return, Rivers was the coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where he achieved a 43-15 record from 2021-25 and led his team to two consecutive 4A state semifinal appearances.
Josh Allen and Rivers have a strong relationship, which is part of what has Buffalo interested in Rivers as a candidate. Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been in all the team's coaching interviews thus far, and the expectation is that will continue. Allen has clearly shown his appreciation for Rivers—back in December, he called Rivers' return "really cool" and said "it's really awesome".
Here's the reality: Rivers has never coached at the professional or collegiate level, making him a long shot for the job. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only one person since 1950 has played in the NFL one season and then served as a head coach the next—Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin. But Rivers did recently say he believes he could do it. Earlier this month, Rivers said he would be open to the idea of coaching in the NFL in the future, stating "I do think, as humbly as I can say it, that I could coach at this level".
Rivers joins Mike McDaniel, Anthony Lynn, Anthony Weaver and Grant Udinski as those who will meet with the team in Florida through the weekend. Buffalo fired head coach Sean McDermott after nine years on the job following the team's AFC divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos; the Bills went 12-5 in the regular season.