Philip Rivers reportedly takes himself out of the running to be the next Bills head coach

If Philip Rivers' NFL journey continues, it's not going to be with the Buffalo Bills. Rivers reportedly took himself out of consideration for the Bills' head-coaching gig after being a surprise candidate for the role, according to The Athletic.

Rivers, who spent the past couple seasons coaching high school football, made a shocking return to the NFL in December, making three starts with the Indianapolis Colts down the stretch.

Those starts got him back on the NFL radar, and may have resulted in Rivers suddenly being a candidate for the Bills' head-coaching job after the team fired Sean McDermott. While Rivers was rumored to be a real candidate for the position, the former quarterback reportedly took his name out of consideration, The Athletic reported Monday.

Philip Rivers is out of the Bills HC sweepstakes. After interviewing with Buffalo, he's withdrawing himself from consideration, per sources. pic.twitter.com/2RhouF270c

- Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 26, 2026

Rivers, 44, may have pulled out of the role for family reasons. It's possible he'll consider a future in coaching in the NFL down the road, but now is not the right time, per NFL Network.

After five years away, Rivers made his return to the NFL this season with the Colts. With Indianapolis scrambling for help at quarterback, the team signed the long-time veteran to start three games down the stretch. Considering his age and long layoff, Rivers performed admirably, tossing four touchdowns and three interceptions in three games, all losses.

With the Colts eliminated from consideration, the team opted to start rookie Riley Leonard in Week 18. Rivers has since announced his retirement - as a player - from the NFL.

While Rivers may eventually return to the league as a coach, it doesn't sound like that will happen this offseason. Rivers has not been mentioned as a head-coaching candidate for any of the other open jobs around the league, meaning he'll likely spend the rest of 2026 out of the NFL.

Rivers' decision to take his name out of consideration for the Bills' job further complicates the team's head-coaching search. Given the timing of McDermott's firing, the Bills have already missed out on some of the premier coaching talent to hit the market this offseason.

There are very few coaches still available who have a strong track record that includes playoff success. That's going to be the expectation for whoever is hired in Buffalo after the team axed McDermott.