FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers has already lined up his first job after he retires from the NFL.
Rivers was introduced Friday as the head coach-in-waiting at St. Michael Catholic High School in a news conference on campus.
After playing his first 16 professional seasons with the Chargers - and making the move with them from San Diego to Los Angeles in 2017 - Rivers signed a one-year deal with the Colts worth $25 million guaranteed in March. Rivers didn't offer a timetable on when he'd actually be available for the private school in the Mobile area.
"I think it's a one-year-at-a-time deal at this point, when you get to 38 and you've played as long as I have," Rivers said. "I think you take it one year at a time. We hope it's more than one year, but I think it's one year at a time and go from there."
Athletic director Paul Knapstein will serve as St. Michael's interim coach in the meantime.
Rivers is coming off one of his worst NFL seasons, throwing for just 23 touchdowns with 20 interceptions for the Chargers.
However, the Athens, Alabama, native ranks sixth in league history in completions, passing yards and touchdowns passes and seventh in attempts and is 123-101 as an NFL starter. He hasn't missed a start since 2005, the year after he was the No. 4 overall draft pick out of North Carolina State.
St. Michael principal Faustin Weber doesn't know how long the school will have to wait until Rivers is done on the field.
"But when his career is over, that January or February after his last season, he'll be here for spring practice that spring," Weber said.
Rivers and his wife have nine children and a home in northwest Florida, a fairly short drive from the south Alabama town near the Gulf Coast. He had met school officials through friends and held clinics there the past two summers.
The son of a high school coach, he said two childhood dreams were to play in the NFL and follow in his father's footsteps. He also wants to possibly coach his two sons, who will be in the sixth and third grade next school year.
Rivers said he's not looking at this as a short-term situation and also would likely be "going crazy" if he had a fall without being involved in football.
"My dream would be to be here for a long time, a long, long time," Rivers said. "To see grandchildren come up through the school would be my dream."
Taking this job also means he won't have to be a free agent again any time soon.
Joked Weber: "I told him we probably couldn't match his contract."