If the Saints call, Philip Rivers says he’ll pick up the phone (Twitter link via Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times). The former Chargers and Colts quarterback hasn’t heard from Sean Payton & Co. yet, but he’s at least open to coming out of retirement.
Rivers announced his retirement back in January, choosing to coach high school football rather than return for an 18th NFL season. However, the 39-year-old (40 in December) did say that he would stay in shape in case he had a change of heart in October or November.
“It’s a long shot at best. But gonna be ready just in case,” Rivers told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen in August (Twitter link). “…Will not even consider until our season is over no matter what. And like I said, somebody has to want ya.”
Rivers spent 16 years with the Chargers before spending the 2020 season with the Colts. All in all, the former No. 4 overall pick tallied 63,440 yards, 421 touchdowns and nine Pro Bowl nods. He could, in theory, add to those totals with the Saints, but it’s not clear if the interest is mutual.
For now, the Saints are prepared to move forward with some combination of Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill under center. Free agent Cam Newton is not under consideration and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees has already said that he’s not coming out of retirement.
Even without Winston, Siemian and the Saints still managed to beat the Bucs 36-27 on Sunday. Now at 5-2 on the year, it remains to be seen whether they’ll give Rivers a ring.
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