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Philip Rivers

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Philip Rivers
refer to caption
Rivers in 2014
No. 17 – San Diego Chargers
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born:December 8, 1981 (age 34)
Decatur, Alabama
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
College:North Carolina State
NFL draft:2004 / round: 1 / pick: 4
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 12, 2016
Pass attempts:5,738
Pass completions:3,713
Percentage:64.7
TD–INT:304–147
Passing yards:44,575
Passer rating:95.4
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina State University, and was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft with the fourth overall pick by the New York Giants, who traded him to the Chargers for their first overall pick, quarterback Eli Manning. Rivers' career passer rating of 95.7 is fifth-best all-time among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 passing attempts.[1] Rivers is ranked 4th all-time in consecutive starts by a quarterback in NFL history.

After starting Chargers' quarterback Drew Brees went to the New Orleans Saints following the 2005 season, Rivers led the Chargers to a 14-2 record in his first season as a starter. In 2007, he helped the Chargers win their first playoff game since 1994 after beating the Tennessee Titans in the wildcard round of the 2007 playoffs and eventually leading them to the AFC Championship Game.

Early life

Rivers was born in Decatur, Alabama, where his father, Steve, was the head coach of Decatur High's football team and his mother, Joan, was a teacher. Rivers went to Decatur then moved to Athens. As part of a fifth-grade project, he had to make a poster about his dreams and aspirations. On the poster, he pasted his face over that of a Minnesota Vikings player who had appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated.[2] He has worn the number 17 jersey since the ninth grade; it is in honor of his father, who wore the same number in high school. After his dad, Steve, got the head coaching job, Rivers played high school football at Athens High School in nearby Athens. Rivers' first start in an official game came in the seventh grade, in 1994. He would not see the bench again until his rookie season in the NFL.

As Rivers’ senior season unfolded, he established himself as the best prep passer in the state of Alabama. Although he had offers from Auburn and Alabama, neither projected him as a starting quarterback. Rivers rejected them in order to go to a program where he would have more playing time.[3] The first college to seriously recruit Rivers as a quarterback was North Carolina State. Joe Pate convinced Rivers and his parents to consider graduating from high school in December 1999. [citation needed]

College career

After high school, Rivers attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played for coach Chuck Amato's NC State Wolfpack football team. Rivers enrolled in January and suited up for his first practice as a college quarterback in the spring of 2000. [citation needed]

As a freshman in 2000, Rivers led NC State to an 8–4 record, including a win against Minnesota in the Tangerine Bowl. Four of the Wolfpack's victories were comebacks. In his debut, a 38-31 double-overtime win over Arkansas State, he directed a 74-yard game-tying drive as time expired. A week later, he threw for 401 yards in a 41–38 win against Indiana. The performance was highlighted by a clutch 47-yard strike to future 1st round pick Koren Robinson with under a minute to go. Against Duke, NC State trailed 31–28 late in the fourth quarter when Rivers scampered into the end zone on a seven-yard run.[citation needed] For the season, Rivers passed for 3,054 yards and 25 touchdowns. He broke a half-dozen school passing marks, was ACC Rookie of the Week a record eight times, and earned honors as the conference Freshman of the Year. For the first time since Roman Gabriel ran the Wolfpack offense in the early 1960s, NC State had an All-American caliber quarterback.[3]

In his sophomore year in 2001, Rivers connected for 2,586 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 65.2 percent completion mark led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Wolfpack finished the 2001 campaign at 7–4 and made a return trip to the Tangerine Bowl. The quarterback had a great game against Pitt in a losing cause, garnering the game's MVP award for the second year in a row.[3]

In 2002, Rivers led the Wolfpack to victories in their first nine games. It was the best start in the school's history. The season took a disappointing turn however when they lost three consecutive ACC contests, but NC State defeated Florida State in their season finale, and received an invitation to play against Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. Once again, Rivers delivered an MVP performance in the most important game of the year, pacing the Wolfpack to a dominating 28-6 win over Notre Dame. The game would set up a remarkable year for Rivers in 2003.[3]

As a senior in 2003, Rivers had an outstanding season. In 12 games, he threw for 4,491 yards and 34 touchdowns, capping his career as the most productive and durable quarterback in ACC history. During his four years, he started 51 straight games and completed a conference record 1,147 passes in 1,710 tries, with 95 TDs. Rivers' time at NC State had a great ending, leading the Wolfpack to a 56-26 win over Kansas in his third Tangerine Bowl. In the victory, he threw for a career-high 475 yards and five touchdowns.[3] Philip earned his fourth straight bowl MVP award. At the end of the season, Rivers was named ACC Player of the Year[4] for the 2003 football season and ACC Athlete of the Year for 2003-04. He was considered a Heisman candidate by some journalists,[5] but he was not invited to the Heisman Trophy presentation.

During his collegiate career, Rivers shattered almost every NC State and ACC passing record. His career culminated with an NCAA record 51st consecutive college start.[6] The Wolfpack went to four consecutive bowl games under the leadership of Rivers, winning three of them, including a New Year's Day victory over Notre Dame in the 2003 Gator Bowl. Rivers finished his career at NC State with 13,484 passing yards, 4th all-time among Division I-A quarterbacks (he was 2nd at the end of his collegiate career). He also threw 95 touchdown passes, which ties him for eighth all-time with Kliff Kingsbury and Brady Quinn. Rivers' number was retired before his final home game at North Carolina State. [citation needed]

Statistics

Year Team Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2000 NC State 237 441 53.7 3,054 6.9 25 10 126.1 73 -87 -1.2 2
2001 NC State 240 368 65.2 2,586 7.0 16 7 134.8 44 -26 -0.6 2
2002 NC State 262 418 62.7 3,353 8.0 20 10 141.1 57 100 1.8 10
2003 NC State 348 483 72.0 4,491 9.3 34 7 170.5 78 109 1.4 3
Career 1,087 1,710 63.6 13,484 7.9 95 34 144.2 252 96 0.4 17

Source:[7]

Professional career

Rivers was projected to be an early first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. But despite Rivers' record of success in college and remarkable accuracy (72% completion percentage for his senior season), questions about his lack of arm strength and his unorthodox side-arm throwing motion were concerns for some NFL GMs. The pre-draft consensus was that Rivers could be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 11th pick. The Chargers coveted Eli Manning and wanted to select him with their first round pick, which was also the first overall pick of the draft. However, after Eli Manning indicated before the draft that he would not sign with the San Diego Chargers, the Chargers were forced to adjust their plans. Rivers was their first alternative to Manning because the Chargers head coach at the time, Marty Schottenheimer, had coached Rivers at the Senior Bowl and he liked what he saw from Rivers. The Chargers agreed to a trade on draft day with the New York Giants. Manning was selected by the San Diego Chargers then later in the draft traded for Rivers, selected with the fourth pick by the Giants. The Chargers also received draft picks from the Giants that were used to select future Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding.

Rivers was one of seventeen quarterbacks taken in the 2004 NFL Draft along with Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Matt Schaub. Rivers, Roethlisberger, Schaub and Manning have been voted to the Pro Bowl since becoming starters, none had produced a season with a losing record until Schaub did it in 2010, but Roethlisberger and Manning both have won two Super Bowls. They have been compared favorably to the Quarterback class of 1983, which included Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway (1st pick), Jim Kelly (14th), and Dan Marino (27th).[8]

2004

In August 2004, Rivers signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the San Diego Chargers that included $14.5 million in signing bonuses. However, due to a protracted contract negotiation with the San Diego Chargers, Rivers only reported to the team during the last week of training camp, and incumbent Drew Brees retained his starting job. Rivers began the season as the Chargers' third QB option, behind Doug Flutie,[9] and ahead of the No. 4 quarterback Cleo Lemon. Unfortunately for Rivers, Brees went on to have a then-career year and was named to the NFL Pro Bowl while winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Rivers received very limited playing time, playing in only two games. He only threw passes in the second half of the last game of the 2004 season (a win over Kansas City), by which time the Chargers had already clinched a home playoff spot and the AFC West division title. He threw his first touchdown pass to fellow rookie Malcom Floyd. He was not on the active roster for San Diego’s playoff loss to the New York Jets.[3]

2005

Rivers handing off to LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.

Rivers was promoted to No. 2 on the Chargers quarterback depth chart after Flutie was released.[9] Rivers was unable to beat out Brees for the starting quarterback job in the Chargers' 2005 training camp and preseason. In the Chargers' final game of the 2005 season, at home in Qualcomm Stadium, Rivers entered the game after Brees dislocated his right shoulder late in the second quarter due to a hit from Denver Broncos safety John Lynch. Rivers completed 12 of 22 passing attempts for 115 yards with one interception and two fumbles. The Chargers lost to Denver, 20–7. However, Rivers led the Chargers on their only scoring drive that game, which culminated in a 4-yard touchdown run by RB LaDainian Tomlinson.

2006

Philip Rivers in 2006.

After the 2005 season, Brees was not re-signed (partly due to the injury suffered in the Denver game) by the Chargers. Instead he signed a large contract that included sizeable guaranteed money with the New Orleans Saints, during the 2006 free agency period. Many doubted the Chargers' decision to change quarterbacks as they were a Super Bowl contender, believing that Rivers' inexperience would hinder them. Rivers was named the Chargers' starter going into training camp. Expectations were high for Rivers due to the large amount of talent on the San Diego Chargers' offense and the performance of his peers from the 2004 draft (Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger) as starters.

Football Outsiders projected that Rivers would become an NFL star before the 2006 season due to his spectacular completion percentage in college (72% as a senior). After just 5 NFL starts, Rivers was named the second best NFL quarterback under 25 years of age by Sports Illustrated[10][11]

On September 11, 2006, Rivers made his first NFL start against the Oakland Raiders. Rivers managed the game well despite only passing 11 times, but completed 8 passes, one for a touchdown, in a 27–0 rout of the Raiders. After his first game, Rivers led the NFL in QB rating with 133.9.[12]

The fifth week of the season, the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers came to town, and Bill Cowher's defensive game plan revolved around stopping running back LaDainian Tomlinson. This game marked a turning point for Rivers, who, aided by head coach Marty Schottenheimer's opening of the playbook, led the team in a come-from-behind victory, throwing 24-of-37 for 242 yards and two touchdowns, winning 23–13.[13]

On November 12, 2006, Rivers had the best game of his short career and led the San Diego Chargers to an improbable comeback on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. Down 28–7 at halftime, Rivers led the Chargers on six drives culminating in touchdowns. After driving in for the Chargers first touchdown after halftime, Nick Hardwick, the Chargers' center, reminisced about Rivers, mimicking his southern drawl, "He's yelling 'Y'all don't think we're out of this' to the Bengals. When he said that, I said, 'Shoot, I guess we ain't out of this. Right on.'"[14] He threw for 337 yards and three touchdown passes, while LaDainian Tomlinson scored three of their four rushing touchdowns. San Diego outscored Cincinnati 42–13 in the second half, winning the game 49–41, matching the biggest comeback in 23 years for the Chargers.[15]

The following week against what was considered at the time to be a strong Denver Broncos defense, the Chargers became the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back road games after trailing by 17 or more points and also the first team to win four straight when allowing at least 27 points in each game.[16] Rivers led several 4th quarter comebacks in 2006, and posted the league's highest 4th quarter quarterback rating. His performance over the season led to his selection to the 2007 Pro Bowl. After a 14–2 season the Chargers had home field advantage and were set to play the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs. However, the Patriots won that game, and Schottenheimer soon after lost his job. The Patriots went on to the AFC Championship, where they lost to the Indianapolis Colts 38-34. [citation needed]

2007

Norv Turner took over as the head coach of the Chargers in 2007. After a 1–3 start, the Chargers found their groove, finishing 11–5 and winning the AFC West for the second straight year. The Chargers also won their first two playoff games since the 1994 season, beating the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts before falling to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game 21–12. In the 2007 AFC Championship Game, Rivers' was lauded by his teammates and the press for playing the entire game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which later required surgery and was ranked among the NFL Top 10 Gutsiest Performances.[17][18] Chris Harry of the Orlando Sentinel said "I don't think anyone will ever accuse Philip Rivers of being soft."[17] Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune said, "To go out there and put his knee, and ultimately his career, on the line. It has to go down as one of the gutsiest performances."[17]

2008

Rivers in 2008

In 2008, Rivers led the NFL in multiple categories including touchdown passes (34), passer rating (105.5), and yards per pass attempt (8.4), and adjusted yards per attempt (8.8).[19][20] On December 28, 2008, Rivers set the Chargers team record for touchdown passes in a season with 34, a record previously held by Dan Fouts, who had 33 in 1981. After a 4–8 start, Rivers threw 11 touchdown passes and only 1 interception to win the final four games of the season, winning the AFC West division against the Denver Broncos with the score 52–21 leading them to the playoff against the Colts. Despite having good stats in 2008, Rivers was only able to lead his team to an 8-8 record and they were able to win the division over Denver by a tie-breaker. On January 3, 2009, the San Diego Chargers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23–17 to advance to the AFC Divisional Playoff. Rivers led the Chargers down the field down 3 points with under 2 minutes left. He set up Nate Kaeding for a game-tying field goal that would lead to overtime, where the Chargers would go on to win 23–17, thanks to a Darren Sproles touchdown. In the divisional round versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rivers played well throwing for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns but was sacked 4 times and threw an interception. Despite his efforts, the team fell short and lost to the Steelers 35–24. They possessed the ball for only 17 seconds during the third quarter and had only 15 yards rushing.

2009

On August 24, 2009, Rivers signed a 6-year, $92 million contract extension with the Chargers, with approximately $38 million guaranteed.[21] Rivers was voted into his second career Pro Bowl on December 29. He ended the season with a passer rating of 104.4, the third highest in the entire NFL, after passing for 4,254 yards, 28 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions. For the second consecutive year, he led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.8) and adjusted yards per attempt (9.1).[19][20] He led the Chargers to the second seed in the AFC with a 13-3 record, tied for second best in the NFL. In the divisional round of the playoffs, Rivers was 27-40 for 298 yards while rushing and throwing for a touchdown and was intercepted twice. The Chargers lost 17-14 to the New York Jets, who moved on to play the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship, which they lost 30-17.

2010

Rivers led the league in passing yards, throwing for a career high 4,710 yards - 10 yards more than second-place finisher, Peyton Manning. The Chargers started off the year slowly again at 3–5 and finished a disappointing 9-7 and their four-year reign as AFC West champions ended while they missed the playoffs.[22][23] Rivers' top wide receiver, Vincent Jackson, did not make a catch until the Chargers' 13th game of this season after a suspension due to a contract dispute with the team.[23] In week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks Rivers threw for 455 yards and 2 TD's in a losing effort 20-27. These 455 yards broke the San Diego Chargers single-game record for most passing yardage, previously held by Dan Fouts, who had 444 in 1982.[24] Rivers went over 400 yards and threw 2 touchdowns, but lost to the Oakland Raiders in week 5.[25] In Week 8, Rivers threw for 305 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in a 33-25 win against the Tennessee Titans, extending his active player-leading streak to 21 games with a touchdown thrown and giving him the record for most passing yards (2,649) ever after 8 games, passing Dan Fouts' previous record (2,580).[26] Rivers threw for 4 touchdowns, two to backup tight end Randy McMichael and the other two to rookie receiver Seyi Ajirotutu in a comeback 29-23 victory over the Houston Texans. The Chargers' top receivers Gates (torn plantar fascia), Vincent Jackson (suspended), Malcom Floyd (hamstring), and Legedu Naanee (hamstring) did not play in the game.[19][27] Rivers lost his first ever game in December, a 13-28 loss at home against the Oakland Raiders.[28] Rivers was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl, his fourth invite overall, and started in place of an injured Tom Brady.[29][30] It was the first time he played in a Pro Bowl, twice missing previous games due to injury and once for the birth of his child in the 2010 Pro Bowl.[30] Rivers was named the quarterback in the 2010 NFL Alumni Player of the Year Awards over Brady, the unanimous selection for The Associated Press 2010 Most Valuable Player Award.[31]

2011

Entering the 2011 season, Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune called Rivers a "better quarterback" than Fouts, a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. Canepa cited Rivers "[completing] passes to an astounding 17 different receivers" in 2010, amid the injuries to Chargers receivers, and his then 55–25 record as a starter compared to 86–84–1 for Fouts. He also noted, "Fouts made more mistakes than Rivers." Rivers had completed 63.7 percent of his 2,455 passes with 58 interceptions and a 97.2 passer rating, while Fouts was successful on 58.8 percent of his 5,604 attempts with 242 interceptions and an 80.2 rating. Rivers had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game, including seven playoff games.[32] His passer rating was the highest in league history, and he had the second-best touchdown-to-interception ratio of all-time (136/58).[33]

Rivers and the Chargers started out the season with a 24-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Rivers had 335 passing yards and two touchdowns thrown to running back Mike Tolbert. He threw two interceptions for the first time in his career.[34] Rivers and the Chargers lost 35-21 in Foxboro to the New England Patriots in Week 2. Rivers threw for 378 passing yards and had two touchdown passes to Vincent Jackson but also threw two interceptions again.[35] Rivers threw two more interceptions for the third game in a row as the Chargers held off the winless Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, 20-17.[36] In Week 4, the Chargers beat the winless Miami Dolphins 26-16, and Rivers threw a 55-yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson.[37] In Week 5, Rivers threw for 250 yards and a touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd. He added a rushing touchdown as well. Despite two turnovers by him, the Chargers held off the Denver Broncos 29-24.[38]

Rivers struggled in Week 7 after the bye. Rex Ryan's New York Jets limited Rivers to 179 passing yards and 2 interceptions. He did throw a touchdown to Antonio Gates, his first of the year. .[39] The Chargers lost 23-20 to the Chiefs in overtime on Halloween. Rivers put up 369 yards, but had 2 interceptions and a crushing fumble.[40] Rivers' poor performance during the 2011 season led to media speculation that he may have been suffering from an undisclosed injury.[41] His former teammate, LaDainian Tomlinson, speculated that Rivers might be distracted by the burden of being the Chargers' star player.[42] Rivers had a whopping 385 yards passing and added 4 touchdowns, but threw 3 crushing interceptions against the defending champion Green Bay Packers.[43] Rivers threw for 274 passing yards and an interception and a fumble in a 24-17 Week 10 loss against the Oakland Raiders. He did however, throw 2 touchdowns to rookie Vincent Brown.[44] Rivers threw for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 31-20 loss to the Chicago Bears. He added 2 more interceptions thrown. The touchdown passes went to Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson.[45] The Chargers lost 16-13 in overtime to Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. Rivers threw for 188 yards and a touchdown to Antonio Gates.[46] The Chargers finally won a game in Week 13, dominating the Jacksonville Jaguars 38-14. Rivers finished with 294 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.[47] Rivers and the Chargers dominated the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, winning 37-10. Philip threw for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 to Antonio Gates, and Patrick Crayton.[48] Rivers and the Chargers dominated the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15. Philip had 270 yards and a touchdown to Malcom Floyd in a 34-14 stomping.[49] Rivers and the Chargers struggled in Week 16. On Christmas Eve, the Chargers fell 38-10 in Detroit to the Lions. Rivers had 299 passing yards and a touchdown, but 2 interceptions.[50]

Rivers concluded the season by throwing for 310 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, to Floyd, Jackson, and to Gates, in a 38-26 win against the Oakland Raiders, ending the Raiders' playoff hopes that season.[51]

2012

The Chargers began the 2012 season with a 3–1 record for the second consecutive season.[52] In a 37–20 win over Kansas City in week 4, Rivers started his 100th career game, which was also his 100th consecutive start. Rivers became seventh fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 25,000 career yards.[53] With a weak offensive line that season, Rivers was frequently forced to scramble and was sacked 49 times and hit on 70 other plays, contributing to his 22 turnovers—47 over the previous two seasons.[54][55] The Chargers' 7–9 record was the first losing season in Rivers' career,[9] and the team's first since 2003.[54] They missed the playoffs for the third straight season, leading to the firing of Turner and general manager A. J. Smith.[54]

2013

Rivers in 2013.

Rivers' combined 35 interceptions the two previous seasons led many to wonder whether he was injured or if his career was on the decline.[56][57] Only two offensive coaches returned in 2013 in an overhauled coaching staff led by new head coach Mike McCoy, and a revamped offensive system had Rivers release the ball earlier and taking what opposing defenses conceded.[58] In their Week 2 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, he threw for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns. In their Week 4 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Rivers set an NFL record for completion percentage (83%) for a quarterback who also threw for over 400 yards (401), 3 touchdowns, and one interception. In Week 7, Rivers surpassed 30,000 career yards passing. Rivers is now second in Chargers' history behind Dan Fouts. Rivers was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career. In Week 17 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rivers led a fourth quarter and overtime comeback to win the game, and clinch the 6th seed in the AFC playoffs.

During the Chargers season-ending four-game winning streak, Rivers completed 67.3 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and a 142.6 rating. He finished the season completing 378 of 544 passes (69.5 percent) for 4,478 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions;[9] his 105.5 passer rating tied his career high from 2008.[58] With the Chargers having a capable running attack, an adjusted offensive line, and an improved defense, Rivers was not pressured to force his throws, and he led all quarterbacks in the league with a 49.4 third-down conversion rate when passing.[56] He led the Chargers to a 27–10 win in the wildcard playoffs against Cincinnati before losing to Denver in the divisional playoffs, 24–17. He was named Comeback Player of the Year by both Associated Press (AP) and Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA).[9][58]

2014

The Chargers in 2014 lost their final game of the season when a win would have qualified them for the playoffs.[59] Rivers was sacked a career-high seven times in the loss.[60] For the season, he was voted by the Chargers as their MVP after finishing with 4,286 yards, 31 TDs and 18 interceptions.[61] It was the sixth season in which he passed for over 4,000 yards.[59] During Weeks 2–6, he became the first NFL player ever to have a passer rating over 120 for five consecutive games.[61] Later in the season, Rivers suffered from sore ribs and a back injury, but he denied that they affected his performance. His 71.2 rating in December was his lowest in a single month since November 2007 (68.8).[62]

2015

On August 15, 2015, the Chargers and Rivers agreed to a 4-year, $84 million contract extension.[63]

On September 20, Rivers threw his 255th touchdown pass as a Charger, passing Dan Fouts as the franchise leader in touchdown passes.

On October 18, in a game against the Green Bay Packers, Rivers set franchise records for passing yards (503), completions (43), and attempts (65).[64] The Chargers finished with a 4-12 record, last in the AFC West, their worst record since 2003. The Chargers also went winless against divisional opponents for the first time since 1984. Despite the disappointing season, Rivers set career highs with 437 pass completions, 661 pass attempts and 4,792 passing yards. He finished 11 yards short of breaking the single season passing yards record held by Dan Fouts.

Rivers was invited to the 2016 Pro Bowl as an alternate but declined, citing personal reasons.[65]

2016

Rivers in 2016

On October 13, 2016, Rivers passed Dan Fouts to become the Chargers' all-time passing yards leader.[66]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team G GS Passing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg
2004 SD 2 0 5 8 62.5 33 16.5 1 0 110.9
2005 SD 2 0 12 22 54.5 115 5.2 0 1 50.4
2006 SD 16 16 284 460 61.7 3,388 7.4 22 9 92.0
2007 SD 16 16 277 460 60.2 3,152 6.9 21 15 82.4
2008 SD 16 16 312 478 65.3 4,009 8.4 34 11 105.5
2009 SD 16 16 317 486 65.2 4,254 8.8 28 9 104.4
2010 SD 16 16 357 541 66.0 4,710 8.7 30 13 101.8
2011 SD 16 16 366 582 62.9 4,624 7.9 27 20 88.7
2012 SD 16 16 338 527 64.1 3,606 6.8 26 15 88.6
2013 SD 16 16 378 544 69.5 4,478 8.2 32 11 105.5
2014 SD 16 16 379 570 66.5 4,286 7.5 31 18 93.8
2015 SD 16 16 437 661 66.1 4,792 7.3 29 13 93.8
2016 SD 10 10 229 369 62.1 2,886 7.8 20 11 92.0
Career 174 170 3,691 5,708 64.7 44,333 7.8 301 146 95.3

Postseason

Year Team G GS Passing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg
2006 SD 1 1 14 32 43.8 230 7.2 0 1 55.5
2007 SD 3 3 52 86 60.5 767 8.9 4 4 85.8
2008 SD 2 2 41 71 57.7 525 7.4 3 2 83.4
2009 SD 1 1 27 40 67.5 298 7.5 1 2 76.9
2013 SD 2 2 30 43 69.8 345 8.0 3 0 116.9
Total 9 9 146 245 59.5 1948 7.9 11 9 84.8

Notable accomplishments

Philip Rivers, with teammates on USS Ronald Reagan, in 2006

NFL records

Chargers franchise records

  • Most career wins: 92 (2006–2015)[67]
  • Most regular season wins in a single season: 14 (2006)[68]
  • Most pass completions, career: 3,462 (2004-2015)
  • Most pass completions in a single season: 437 (2015)[68]
  • Most pass completions in a game: 43 (10/18/15 vs. Green Bay Packers)[64]
  • Most pass attempts in a single season: 661 (2015)[68]
  • Most pass attempts in a game: 65 (10/18/15 vs. Green Bay Packers)[64]
  • Highest completion percentage, career: 64.8 (2004-2015)
  • Highest completion percentage, season: 69.5 (2013) (16 starts)[68]
  • Highest completion percentage, game (min. 20 attempts): 90.0% (18/20) (11/1/12 vs. Kansas City Chiefs)
  • Most passing yards in a game: 503 (10/18/15 vs. Green Bay Packers)[64]
  • Most career passing touchdowns: 281
  • Most passing touchdowns in a single season: 34 (2008)[68]
  • Most consecutive seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes: 8 (2008–2015)
  • Most game winning drives in a single season: 5 (2008) (tied with Stan Humphries)[68]
  • Most consecutive seasons with 4,000 passing yards: 4 (2008–2011)
  • Most consecutive seasons with 3,000 passing yards: 10 (2006–2015)
  • Most seasons with 4,000+ passing yards: 7 [68]
  • Most seasons with 3,000+ passing yards: 10
  • Most 400+ yard passing games, career – 8
  • Highest yards per attempt, career: 7.8 (2004–2015) (Min. 500 attempts)
  • Highest yards per attempt, season: 8.7 (2010) (Min. 500 attempts)[68]
  • Most career yards per game - 252.7 (2004-2015)
  • Highest passer rating, career: 95.5 (2004-2015)
  • Highest passer rating, season: 105.5 (2008, 2013) (16 starts)[68]
  • Most consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass - 28
  • Most consecutive starts by a quarterback: 160 (2006–present)

Awards and honors

Personal life

Rivers (right) in 2007.

Rivers, a devout Roman Catholic, married his junior high school sweetheart, Tiffany, in 2001. She converted to the Catholic faith. They have eight children,[69][70] and reside in San Diego, California. On January 31, 2010, Philip and Tiffany Rivers' daughter, Sarah Catherine, was born. He had been selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team the same year but did not make it to the game in South Florida due to her birth.[30] In an interview with NFL Network on the June 10, 2011, Rivers stated the family was expecting their sixth child. Rivers was a guest on Blessed2Play hosted by Ron Meyer where he discussed the importance of his faith and football career. On October 28, 2013, Philip and Tiffany welcomed their 7th child. In April 2015, Rivers and his wife confirmed they were expecting their 8th child. On October 28, 2015, their daughter Claire was born.[71]

In 2011, he was named one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his work with the Rivers of Hope Foundation, an endeavor he and his wife oversaw from 2010-12 to help foster children. The Foundation raised more than $1,000,000 for the cause through football camps, a 5K Fun Run and personal contributions from Rivers. The Foundation supported the San Pasqual Academy, a residential education campus designed specifically for foster teens.[72]

Rivers comes from an athletic family. He, his father Steve, and his younger brother Stephen have all played college football. Steve played linebacker at Mississippi State in the 1970s.[73] Stephen, committed to play college football at Louisiana State University (LSU) after attending Austin High School and Athens High School.[74][75] On June 5, 2014, he transferred to Vanderbilt University and was eligible to play immediately, but wound up transferring to Northwestern State University for the 2015 season.[76]

Rivers received an Honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and addressed the Class of 2014 at the 125th Annual Commencement Ceremony of The Catholic University of America (CUA) on May 17, 2014.[77]

See also

References

  1. ^ Profile, pro-football-reference.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  2. ^ JockBio: Philip Rivers profile, jockbio.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Biodata, jockbio.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Atlantic Coast Conference football individual awards#Player of the Year"
  5. ^ ""GEORGIA TECH 29, N.C. STATE 21: CONTAINING RIVERS: Heisman hopeful battered in defeat", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 5, 2003.
  6. ^ Philip Rivers on Brett Favre's streak: Unbelievable
  7. ^ "Philip Rivers". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  8. ^ Best quarterback class ever? Trio from '04 makes its case over '83
  9. ^ a b c d e Cooney, Frank (January 17, 2014). "Rivers, Jeffery receive PFWA honors". chicagotribune.com. The Sports Xchange. Archived from the original on January 17, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Ranking Top 10 Young QBs, sportsillustrated.cnn.com; accessed December 15, 2014:
    25 and Under]
  11. ^ Focus on Philip, StateFansNation.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  12. ^ NFL Game Center: Game Recap - San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders - 2006 1, nfl.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  13. ^ NFL Game Center: Game Recap - Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers - 2006 5, nfl.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  14. ^ NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news, SportingNews.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  15. ^ NFL Game Center: Game Recap - San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals - 2006 10, nfl.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  16. ^ NFL Game Center: Game Recap - San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos - 2006 11, nfl.com; accessed December 14, 2014.
  17. ^ a b c "NFL Videos: Top Ten Gutsiest Performances: Philip Rivers". Nfl.com. 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  18. ^ "Rivers' ACL was 'totally gone' during game". NBC Sports. January 21, 2008. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010. Rivers, lauded by his teammates for his gutsy play, said he'd like to have surgery as soon as possible on the torn ACL. "I'll be ready by training camp," he said.
  19. ^ a b c Stuart, Chase (2010-11-09). "As His Receivers Fall, Philip Rivers Stands Alone". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2010-11-14. Retrieved 2010-11-14. In 2008 and 2009, Philip Rivers led the league in yards per attempt and adjusted yards per attempt (which includes a 45-yard penalty for interceptions and a 20-yard bonus for touchdowns), making him arguably the best statistical quarterback in the league.
  20. ^ a b Philip Rivers NFL & AFL Football Statistics pro-football-reference.com
  21. ^ Len Pasquarelli (24 August 2009). "Source: Rivers' extension worth $92M". ESPN. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  22. ^ "Chargers hold off Broncos' rally in finale - NFL - CBSSports.com Game Recap". Cbssports.com. 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  23. ^ a b Howard, Johnette (December 16, 2010). "Philip Rivers as Dan Marino". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2011.
  24. ^ Davis, Nate (September 27, 2010). "CBS' Dan Fouts watches Philip Rivers break his Chargers single-game passing record". USA Today.
  25. ^ "Raiders snap 13-game losing skid to Chargers - NFL - CBSSports.com Game Recap". Cbssports.com. 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  26. ^ Judge, Clark (November 1, 2010). "Rivers' historic season obscured by Chargers' stormy start". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2011.
  27. ^ "Rivers again carries load as Chargers end road skid". Cbssports.com. 2010-11-07. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  28. ^ "Raiders bring Chargers' December streak to endRecap". Cbssports.com. 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  29. ^ "NFC reels in five picks to throttle AFC in Pro Bowl". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 30, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2011. Rivers, starting in place of injured Tom Brady, was picked off twice in the first quarter, the second by Hall.
  30. ^ a b c Jenkins, Chris (December 28, 2010). "Gates, Dielman, Rivers voted to Pro Bowl". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011.
  31. ^ a b Graham, Tim (February 7, 2011). "NFL alumni pick Rivers over Brady". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2011.
  32. ^ Canepa, Nick (August 2, 2011). "Rivers tops Fouts as best Chargers QB; with poll". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D-1. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011.
  33. ^ Acee, Kevin (November 11, 2012). "Acee: Rivers is awesome until he's awful". U-T San Diego. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  34. ^ http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20110911_MIN@SD
  35. ^ "Brady throws for 423 yards as Pats overwhelm Bolts". Cbssports.com. 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  36. ^ Staff (2011-09-25). "NFL Recap - Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  37. ^ CBSSports.com wire reportsOct. 2, 2011 (2011-10-02). "NFL Recap - Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ CBSSports.com wire reportsOct. 9, 2011 (2011-10-09). "NFL Recap - San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ Staff (2011-10-23). "NFL Recap - San Diego Chargers at New York Jets". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  40. ^ Staff (2011-11-01). "NFL Recap - San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs". Cbssports.com. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  41. ^ "Philip Rivers Blows Game Against Chiefs: Is He Hiding an Injury?", International Business Times, November 1, 2011.
  42. ^ Mehta, Manish (November 3, 2011). "LaDainian Tomlinson says Philip Rivers appears 'distracted' this season". Daily News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011.
  43. ^ Staff (2011-11-06). "NFL Recap - Green Bay Packers at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  44. ^ Staff (2011-11-11). "NFL Recap - Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  45. ^ Staff (2011-11-20). "Game recap - San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  46. ^ CBSSports.com wire reportsNov. 27, 2011 (2011-11-27). "NFL Recap - Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  47. ^ Staff (2011-12-05). "NFL Recap - San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  48. ^ Staff (2011-12-11). "NFL Recap - Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  49. ^ CBSSports.com wire reportsDec. 18, 2011 (2011-12-18). "NFL Recap - Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ Staff (2011-12-24). "NFL Recap - San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  51. ^ Staff2012 (2012-01-01). "NFL Recap - San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2012-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  52. ^ Gehlken, Michael (September 30, 2012). "Chargers in familiar spot after blowout win". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012.
  53. ^ Gehlken, Michael (September 30, 2012). "Ironman streak ends for Chargers veteran". U-T San Diego. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  54. ^ a b c "Norv Turner, A.J. Smith fired". ESPN.com. January 1, 2013. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  55. ^ McLellan, Dan (January 4, 2013). "Chargers needs for 2013: A wall for Philip Rivers". cbssports.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  56. ^ a b Klis, Mike (January 9, 2014). "Philip Rivers is the emotional heart and soul of the Chargers". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  57. ^ Calkins, Matt (December 29, 2013). "Rivers is the Bolts' Map, Compass, and GPS Philip Rivers". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  58. ^ a b c Gehlken, Michael (February 1, 2014). "Philip Rivers Comeback Player of Year". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  59. ^ a b "Chiefs eliminate rival Chargers from AFC playoffs". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 28, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  60. ^ Acee, Kevin (December 29, 2014). "Chargers, let Rivers throw or let him go". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  61. ^ a b Gehlken, Michael (December 23, 2014). "Eric Weddle selected to Pro Bowl again". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  62. ^ Gehlken, Michael (December 29, 2014). "Surgery not ruled out for Philip Rivers". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  63. ^ Zac Jackson. "Chargers, Rivers finalize four-year extension". NBC Sports.
  64. ^ a b c d "Philip Rivers' monster day earns respect of Packers". NFL.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  65. ^ "Philip Rivers takes a pass on Pro Bowl invite". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  66. ^ Knoblauch, Austin (October 13, 2016). "Rivers becomes Chargers' all-time passing leader". nfl.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  67. ^ Henne, Ricky (December 1, 2014). "Another Game, Another Pair of Milestones for Philip Rivers". Chargers.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  68. ^ a b c d e f g h i "San Diego Chargers Single-season Passing Register". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
  69. ^ Cole, Jason (August 7, 2015). "Philip Rivers Q&A: QB Leads with Gusto as Chargers Face Uncertain Future". Bleacherreport.com. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  70. ^ Williams, Eric (October 28, 2013). "It's A Girl". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2013-10-28. Congratulations to San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and wife Tiffany, who had their seventh child this morning, a girl, according to Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego.
  71. ^ http://sandiego.suntimes.com/sd-sports/7/92/189991/fans-react-chargers-philip-rivers-expecting-8th-child/
  72. ^ "Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year to be announced Feb. 4". NFL.com. January 22, 2012. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  73. ^ Philip Rivers — Biography
  74. ^ Newberg, Jamie (August 11, 2010). "Stephen Rivers goes his own way". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 18, 2011. Stephen plays at Athens (Ala.) High School, where Philip once played, but instead of following the family legacy to Raleigh, Stephen chose a different path and committed to LSU on Friday.
  75. ^ Milam, Brooke (August 9, 2008). "Talent at Austin". The Decatur Daily. Retrieved April 18, 2011. Sophomore quarterback Stephen Rivers is expected to be the starting quarterback for Austin this fall.
  76. ^ Northwestern State quarterback Stephen Rivers talks about his team's match up with Mississippi State
  77. ^ "Philip Rivers to Address 2014 Graduates at CUA's Commencement". Office of Public Affairs. February 11, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
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