Philip Rivers is retired ... again. (And it sounds like this one is going to stick.) "I am," Rivers said when asked if he was done playing on the Wednesday, December 31, episode of the "Up & Adams" podcast, confirming that the 44-year-old quarterback will not be returning to the NFL to play for the Indianapolis Colts - or any team, for that matter - in the upcoming 2026-2027 season. "I have a son who will be a senior and that St. Michaels football team is ready to go," he added. "My second son will be a 9th grader, so they'll be on the same team together." NFL Quarterback Philip Rivers' Family Guide: Meet His Wife and 10 Kids Rivers has been coaching the St. Michael Catholic High School football team in Alabama since the 2020 season - when he retired the first time. His son, Gunner, will play his last season as the team's quarterback next year and Rivers hopes his coaching advice will hold some more weight after his recent NFL stint. "It'll be fun. It'll kickstart our offseason program, to say the least," Rivers said on Wednesday. "Maybe some things I say to them, they'll take a little more serious now that I was just out there playing." Rivers played the last three games for the Colts after starting quarterback Daniel Jones injured his Achilles during the team's Week 14 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With backup quarterback Riley Leonard also dealing with an injury at the time, Colts coach Shane Steichen gave his old friend a call. Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philip Rivers of the Indianapolis Colts interact after the Jacksonville Jaguars won the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana Michael Hickey/Getty Images Steichen and Rivers worked together for eight years with the Los Angeles Chargers (formerly the San Diego Chargers) during Rivers's first time playing in the NFL. "Everything lined up just right," Rivers told podcast host Kay Adams about the situation with the Colts, acknowledging his prior relationship with Steichen. He called it the "perfect storm" and said if any other team would have called, the answer would've been no. Even with a legend like Rivers under center for the last three games, the Colts have lost six in a row and are sitting out of the playoff race. Steichen said that he will be turning to Leonard to quarterback the team in the season finale against the Houston Texans on Sunday, January 4. "There's a lot of emotions there," Steichen said. "Being 44 years old and coming out of this thing healthy is a blessing for [Rivers], too, as well. So, he's grateful for that. And like he said, he wouldn't change anything. Coming back out here with the guys and battling, it's been an honor and a privilege (to watch)." Travis Kelce's Teammate Chris Jones Comments on Star's Potential Retirement Rivers originally came into the league in the 2004 draft, spending most of his career with the San Diego Chargers (he stayed with the team after they moved to Los Angeles in 2017), before finishing his career with the Colts in 2021. He leads the Chargers in passing touchdowns (397) and passing yards (59,271) during his time with the franchise, and ranks sixth and eighth in NFL history in those categories, respectively. At the end of the podcast interview - and despite a plea from Adams to keep playing - Rivers seemed content with wrapping up the last stretch of his career, for real this time. "I'm back to the sideline," Rivers said. "This was a fun, three-week blur that nobody saw coming, including myself. And that'll be it."