The Buffalo Bills have had an explosive start to the offseason, and that may be putting it lightly. After another disappointing playoff run, the Bills are looking for a new head coach after firing Sean McDermott in the wake of their loss to the Denver Broncos. On Friday morning, a shocking new candidate threw his hat into the race.
It’s still early in the Bills’ search for a new head coach, but a couple of candidates have emerged as clear frontrunners. The race for this gig has been shaken up in a big way, though, as former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers is now set to interview for this job after recently retiring from his unexpected NFL comeback.
Bills to Interview Philip Rivers for Head Coach Job
Rivers was surprisingly lured out of retirement by Indy late in the 2025 season after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles injury in Week 14. With the Colts’ playoff hopes on life support, Rivers was viewed as the team’s top option under center, even though he hadn’t played in the NFL since the 2020 season.
While Indianapolis lost all three of Rivers’ starts, he generally held his own, throwing for 544 yards and four touchdowns during his brief return to action. After the season ended, Rivers confirmed that he would be headed back to retirement, although he did express an openness to coaching in the NFL at some point in the future.
That future could be arriving sooner than expected. At this stage of the game, Rivers’ only coaching experience is at the high school level, where he works as St. Michal Catholic High School’s head coach. However, that isn’t stopping Buffalo from giving him a look for its head coach opening, as Rivers will interview for the job on Friday.
“ESPN sources: former Colts QB and current St. Michael Catholic High School coach Philip Rivers is interviewing today for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job,” Adam Schefter reported in a post on X.
Should the Bills Hire Philip Rivers?
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 22: Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up prior to the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 22, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
If the Bills were to hire Rivers, it would be one of the most stunning moves in recent NFL memory. As noted above, Rivers has no prior coaching experience in the pros, let alone head coaching experience. Turning to him in arguably the most important era of the franchise’s history would be a shock, and there’s no telling how that would unfold.
Again, Buffalo is still in the beginning stages when it comes to its search for a new head coach, but the fact that it is even considering Rivers is a surprise. With Josh Allen at quarterback, the Bills have the freedom to be as risky as they want with this hire, but tabbing Rivers as the guy would be pushing that theory to the limit. There’s no doubt that Rivers has a future coaching in the NFL, but Buffalo may be jumping the gun if it decides to hire him this offseason.
Bills Set to Interview Future Hall of Fame QB for Head Coach Opening