Latest intel reveals how close the Bills came to hiring Philip Rivers and why the surprising move ultimately fell apart
An inside look at what went down between the Buffalo Bills and Philip Rivers.
The Buffalo Bills have concluded their head coaching search, making former offensive coordinator Joe Brady the 21st head coach in franchise history. The offensive-minded young gun gets a chance to be a head coach for the first time in his career. While the fan base is divided, Brady is breathing new life into the organization with a slew of hires within his first week of taking office.
Several other candidates were pining for the Bills’ head coaching vacancy, including none other than former quarterback Philip Rivers. While some may have written it off as a joke, the latest intel from One Bills Drive shows that Rivers wasn’t just legit; he had a real shot at being the next head coach.
Philip Rivers was a finalist for the Buffalo Bills’ head coaching position
General manager Brandon Beane spoke with Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News about Rivers’ interview, and his comments are turning heads across the league.
“I said, ‘If you have any doubt, tell me, ‘No,’ Beane said. “You did a great job, and I’ll be surprised if you’re not in the mix at the end. By no means do you have this job, but I think you’ll be in the mix.”
Beane was shooting straight with Rivers, asking if the veteran quarterback was sure he was committed to becoming a head coach. It had been less than 48 hours since the idea was presented to him, so Beane was ensuring that Rivers wasn’t looking toward a one or two-year commitment.
Especially considering how important family is to Rivers with his 10 children and wife Tiffany, he’d have to relocate to Buffalo for what could be the next decade of his life.
It appears Rivers backed out of the head coaching position
In a rather shocking turn of events, it was reported that Rivers did, in fact, have some doubts. While the opportunity to work with quarterback Josh Allen was enticing, Rivers wasn’t sure the situation was right for him. So, he seemingly backed out of the running altogether.
As one user wrote on X, and perfectly captured what might have been going through Rivers’ head, moving from Buffalo to San Diego is a tough task. Trading in the beautiful weather for bitter cold and snow for perhaps a decade could’ve been a hard pill to swallow for Rivers and his family.
In the end, Buffalo got its guy, and Rivers walked away before things went any further.
While the idea of Rivers roaming the sideline at the new stadium will live on as one of the more fascinating “what ifs” in franchise history, Beane’s comments made one thing clear: this was never a gimmick or a publicity stunt.
Rivers was genuinely in the mix until reality set in. And once it did, the Bills pivoted, locked in on Brady, and moved forward with a head coach fully committed to the long haul in Buffalo.
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