The Philadelphia Eagles trounced the San Francisco 49ers 38-7 in the NFC Championship game last season. However, had the 49ers managed to beat the Eagles, it likely signaled the return of an eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
The 49ers faced a major setback in the game as quarterback Brock Prudy was sidelined early due to a UCL injury, and his replacement, Josh Johnson, left with a concussion. After both signal-callers were injured, and with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo already unable to play for the rest of the season, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that if the team had managed to defeat the Eagles, quarterback Philip Rivers was ready to come out of retirement and start for San Francisco in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“He was prepared to [come out of retirement],” Shanahan said. “Now that’s stuff we talked about throughout the whole year. We would’ve had to seen how that was for the Super Bowl, but that was the plan most of the year.”
Following the 2020 season, Rivers announced his retirement, concluding his 17-year career in the league. Throughout his career, Rivers amassed over 63,000 yards and 421 touchdowns. The quarterback, who spent most of his career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, has since settled in Alabama, taking on the role of a high school football coach.
While Rivers is often regarded as a borderline Hall of Famer, the hypothetical scenario of him coming out of retirement for one game and leading the 49ers to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII might have provided the final push he needs to solidify his place in Canton, while simultaneously delivering one of the most interesting stories in recent NFL memory.
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