The Bolts will never forget the game against the Giants in 2009, or the clash with the Denver Broncos in Week 15 in 2013. Count all the days when Chargers legend Philip Rivers didn’t hesitate to pull out all the stops to lead the team. One such moment perhaps came in the 2006 Week 10 road game against the Bengals. It was the 8x Pro Bowler’s first season as a starting quarterback. Despite the Bolts entering the game with a strong 6-2 record, the Bengals proved to be tough competition.

Soon, Rivers’s team found itself trailing 7-28. But the Chargers didn’t back down. Rivers was crucial in the game, throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns. “I was young and getting going, my first year starting. At halftime, I remember Marty kind of saying, ‘Let’s just get a stop and score and see what happens.’ We were getting killed. Then it’s little by little,” Rivers said. That season, the Chargers finished with a franchise-best 14-2 record. There was seemingly never a moment of regret in his 16 years of career with the Bolts, which was full of grit and challenges.

After a glorious career, he decided to hang up his cleats. “I’m Philip Rivers, quarterback, and I’m retiring as a Charger,” he said. However, along with his heartwarming homecoming moment, he shared that he had been holding onto one thing for quite some time. He decided to retire from the league as a member of the Chargers. “It’s really, in the past handful of years, been my desire [to retire] as a Charger. It was more so the timing. Gratitude is the first thing that comes to mind. Just thankful. Thankful for my time there as a Charger,” Rivers said.

He made that decision in the presence of his friends and former offensive linemen, Nick Hardwick, Kris Dielman, Marcus McNeill, and Jeromey Clary. “There were so many highlights. But what I’m most appreciative and thankful for are those relationships and the things that were behind the scenes,” he said. This unexpected reunion made it even more special. Hardwick is now the assistant offensive line coach for the Chargers. Be it the thrilling comebacks or his motivating locker room speeches, his presence with  224 consecutive games during his career always had an impact on the team.

However, he wasn’t just the heart of the game. Rivers backed up his impact with solid numbers too, which elevated the team. He has a franchise record of leading in yards (59,271), touchdowns (397), completions (4,908), and attempts (7,591). Moments like these defined his legacy, such as his best comebacks and his leadership under pressure.

Reminiscing about Philip Rivers’s iconic moment on the field

Drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants in 2004, Rivers was promptly traded to the San Diego Chargers as part of a blockbuster draft-day deal. Though he spent his last season with the Colts, he signed a one-day contract with the Bolts to hang up his cleats. One of the best and most iconic among several was Week 9 of the 2009 NFL season, when the Chargers had the best comeback against the Giants at the historic Giants Stadium. This was the final year of the stadium.

With just under two minutes left on the clock, the Chargers trailed 20-14. A field goal wasn’t enough. They needed a touchdown. It was Rivers’s crunch-time abilities that helped him calmly lead his team.

Rivers connected with wide receiver Vincent Jackson on an 18-yard touchdown pass with just 21 seconds remaining. His late-game heroics saved the day! He finished the game with three touchdown passes and was crucial in lifting the Chargers to a 5-3 record. “That was awesome,” Rivers said about the game and Jackson’s part in it.

The Chargers legend, who has more than 30 Chargers records, led the Bolts to four straight AFC West titles from 2006 to 2009. Reminiscing about the playing days and River’s role as a leader, Hardwick said, “He still found so much joy in all the little things after so many years. That spirit — he was obviously very committed to winning and highly competitive — but you can still keep it in perspective and remember where you’re at.”

In an urge to win a championship, he reunited with his former Rivers members Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni at the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. He later went on to coach the St. Michael Catholic High School football team in his home state, Alabama. And finally, like he said, it was time that he reunited with the Chargers!