The Buffalo Bills are still looking for their next head coach, but a potential candidate won't be included in those options after pulling his name out.
The Buffalo Bills are hoping to get their next hire at head coach right and have cast a wide net with several candidates they’ve interviewed. The Bills have looked at former head coaches with a proven resume, but also at candidates who have never coached at the NFL level. As they look to reach a Super Bowl with a contending roster around reigning MVP Josh Allen, it would have made sense to hire an unproven coach with a quarterback background to maximize the best player on the team.
That was the thought when Buffalo brought in former Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers to interview for the job on Friday. However, The Athletic reported Monday that Rivers is pulling his name from the search. Rivers has no NFL coaching experience but has been the head coach of his son at St. Michael Catholic High School since 2021. The Athletic reports that he seemed more inclined to return to coaching his son’s team rather than jump to the NFL level at this time, despite having confidence in his abilities.
Here is the full story from Bills Roundtable writer Mike Straw on the candidates that Buffalo has interviewed and their respective backgrounds.
Rivers was an improbable story this season, ending his five-year retirement to start for the Colts in three games, which pushed back his Hall of Fame candidacy to 2031. His football IQ showed in his command and poise despite not taking a snap since 2020. That all was thought to be qualities that would translate into an intriguing head coach, but the Bills will keep searching.