It might be back to the high school ranks for Philip Rivers.
Rivers was being seriously considered by the Bills for their head coaching role, but pulled out of consideration after interviewing with the team, The Athletic reported.
The 44-year-old went from high school football coach to starting quarterback when the Colts desperately needed a starting signal caller after Daniel Jones ruptured his Achilles in December.
Rivers retired from the NFL after the 2020 season and joined St. Michael Catholic High School in 2021, where he served as the football head coach in Fairhope, Ala.
His Cardinals went 13-1 and fell just short of winning their first state championship under Rivers in 2025.
Rivers generally played well for the Colts in three games, throwing for 544 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel previously canceled an interview with the Bills and seems set to become the Chargers’ offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh.
Brian Daboll, Klint Kubiak, Davis Webb and Joe Brady now remain as the known candidates to be Josh Allen’s new coach.
Buffalo controversially fired head coach Sean McDermott this offseason after another disappointing season-ending loss, 33-30 to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Team owner Terry Pegula and newly promoted team president Brandon Beane held a messy end-of-season press conference in which they threw second year receiever Keon Coleman under the bus by saying it was McDermott who had pushed to draft the struggling receiver.
The Bills now head into the offseason needing a new head coach and improved playmakers with limited salary cap space available.