Posted on 01/24/2026 6:32:37 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
Philip Rivers is set to interview with Buffalo today. Rivers has never worked as a head coach, coordinator or position coach at the pro or college levels. That lack of experience would make a jump directly to the HC ranks in the NFL a risky one. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if a mutual interest exists between the parties once this in-person interview concludes
(Excerpt) Read more at profootballrumors.com ...
The guy's got 8 kids and wants to put in a 100 hour work week running a team. I'd like to think family is more important but it just might get boring.
How did the Bills get so stupid so fast?! They’ve been a well run franchise the last decade or so. But all of a suddent with the decision to fire McDermott they’re just off the rails. That really weird press conference where the owner is blaming the coach for a draft and then the now promoted GM is all “I drafted him”. The idiocy of firing McDermott in the first place. And now they want somebody who coaches for fun at the high school level the keys to the freaking kingdom? For their sake I hope Rivers is smart enough to laugh at them. Cause this is a terrible idea for everybody.
So stupid so fast? It’s Buffalo. They got a lot of Polaks there. Coach was successful by all measures. Perhaps ‘moving on’ would have been more appropriate without the drama of a firing. NFL owners want to win so bad they overspend on unstable athletes thinking that will get them over the top.
The salary cap was installed to protect owners from themselves.
I don't know if you're trying to be funny. I don't see how the ethnic makeup of Buffalo affects the decision-making of the Bills owner.
“””I don’t know if you’re trying to be funny.””””
He was. And it is funny.
So frowned he once when, in an angry parle,
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice.
(Hamlet, act I, scene 1, lines 71-72)
The Philadelphia Eagles have entered the chat.
Interviewing him to find out his opinion on other HC candidates. Maybe?
AMEN!
Pegula and Beane talking: “I don’t know the team and coaching has the right chemistry and talent, what do you think we should do? Oh, I know! Let’s fire the Head Coach who has turned this team around. That’s great, maybe we can find some just as retarded as us!”
Bring back McDermott, give him a raise and a public apology. Cut Beane’s pay and demote him to Assistant Supervisor of Urinal Operations. Spend some MONEY on beefing the roster.
Speaking of urinals, I remember as a teenager standing at the trough there at Orchard Park, and some guy nearby moans, “Oooooh, this feels as good as my ex-wife”. Seconds later another guy adds, “Yeah… this DOES feel as good as your ex-wife.” Not that it matters, but I’m nearing 60 and it still makes me laugh.
**So stupid so fast? It’s Buffalo. They got a lot of Polaks there.
I don’t know if you’re trying to be funny. I don’t see how the ethnic makeup of Buffalo affects the decision-making of the Bills owner.“””**
**I don’t know if you’re trying to be funny.””””
He was. And it is funny.**
My friends-If you can remember Slob Slobinski that was my father.
“And now they want somebody who coaches for fun at the high school level the keys to the freaking kingdom?”
It’s a lot more than just coaching at the high school level. He spent 18 years in the NFL and has competed at all levels to include starting twice in the AFC Championship game. He was the starting quarterback for 13 years with the team for 6 playoff appearances. He was selected for 8 pro bowl selections. When he retired the first time, he was ranked fifth all-time in passing yards and touchdowns.
The quarterback is the primary leader and “field general” of the offense, responsible for directing plays, touching the ball on nearly every snap, and managing the game clock. They analyze defenses, relay instructions to teammates, and execute passing or running plays to score, along with in many occasions acting as the face of the team franchise. So their position in itself, is directed related to all the team does. And with 18 years of working with athletes, his work as a motivator and teacher was already being used.
A head coach does not go alone. He will have to hire other coaches directly in line with the players. Those are the only choices he makes alone. Everything after that is coordinated and presented for approval related to what the owners wish to accomplish. It’s their team. Head coaches are tools to accomplish their wishes and expectations.
wy69
LOTS of people spend 18 years in the NFL and don’t go straight to head freaking coach. Coaching a different world, head coaching is even more different, head coaching in the pros is even more different. You need to learn it. That’s why there’s layers, many layers. High school, college, pros. Position coach, co-ordinator, head coach. There’s a reason Jeff Saturday went 1-7, this is just plain a stupid idea. If they really want Rivers in the staff make him the QB coach, start him on the path. Jumping him to the head of the line is just going to make a disaster.
Even your argument shows it. Yes head coaches don’t go alone, they have to hire other coaches. Usually guys they know, guys they’ve worked with, people they have history with. Rivers doesn’t have that. He doesn’t have a crew to pull from. And anybody he interviews for the job will probably be “why is this guy head coach, I have actual experience”.
It is indeed the owner’s decision. And every decision they’ve made since even thinking about dumping McDermott was the stupidest decision possible.
These were my thoughts as well. Making him Head Coach would only set him up for failure.
Colts did it with Jeff Saturday. Season was ending and it was temporary.
There were 8 games left in the season. So hardly season was ending. And he went 1-7 and they fired him at the end of the season. It was an abject failure and made Saturday and the Colts punchlines. At least Saturday had a history with the Colts having played most of his career there, so he was at least popular with the fans. Somehow the Bills have managed to look at that failed experiment and said “hey we can do even worse!”
“...guys they’ve worked with, people they have history with. Rivers doesn’t have that.”
Then I guess he didn’t talk with anyone or consider the actions of his former coaches and players to be consistent with his methods or past teachings? Ever notice how many position coaches are asked to join previous dead coaches? Happens all the time. And those coaches had the ear of the head coach during the first trip together.
As of the 2025-2026 season, while many coaches in NFL history had long playing careers before coaching, about 10 active coaches are former players, with roughly a third of the 32 head coaches having significant playing experience. Long-tenured coaches with extensive playing backgrounds are rarer, but exist.
Dan Campbell (Lions): Retired as a player in 2009 and began coaching with the Dolphins in 2010.
DeMeco Ryans (Texans): Retired as a player in 2015 and began coaching in 2017.
Jerod Mayo (Patriots): Retired as a player in 2015 and began coaching in 2019.
Antonio Pierce (Raiders): Had a brief stint coaching high school immediately after retiring before entering the NFL coaching ranks.
These are not people with extensive amateur coaching stints and working their way into the system through years of asistant work or position coaching.
“Coaching a different world”
Coaching is a professional, collaborative, and forward-focused partnership designed to maximize personal and professional potential. Through a thought-provoking, creative, and confidential process, coaches help clients clarify goals, improve performance, and overcome obstacles.
See anything there that focuses on years in the trade as a coach, I don’t. I see a person that has the ability to communicate with players to use the ideas established by underlings. This is why our government is so different than many in that we have people in places to determine what is best to present to the president to make a final call. He doesn’t dream up the action, just okays it. Isn’t that what a quarterback does on the field? Audible? There’s 18 years of coaching experience right there.
Now all you need to do here is hire people like Steve Spagnuolo, Vic Fangio, or Mike Macdonald and listen to them. Trump listens to his secretaries and their employees. We’ve been doing pretty good so far.
And another situation is what the owners are trying to accomplish. They may want a more offensive geared to generate more patrons or increase the on line sales. For years the league owners have changed rules to accomplish something like the crowd noise rules that have changed at least three times to accommodate the fans.
You want to rant on someone, do it with them as they are the people getting patron bucks, not the players or coaches and they make the determinations of everything. And no one is talking that sits in those meetings and knows what they are choosing for the whole team. The coach is a CEO. He does what the owners want. So does he need any extended experience to do what he is told? You can train a chimpanzee to do that. All he needs to do is let his subordinates tell him how to get somewhere and say yes. This is why when something goes wrong and a team loses due to anything other than talent, they fire the coach, not the failing players.
wy69
“The salary cap was installed to protect owners from themselves.”
The salary cap was installed to protect small market teams from going under when the larger market teams could entice players to leave the smaller market teams via salaries and availability of air time.
The Dallas Cowboys are consistently the most profitable NFL team, generating over $1.1 billion in annual revenue as of 2023 and valued at $13 billion in 2025. Other top earners include the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Las Vegas Raiders, driven by high-tech stadiums, major media deals, and high-value sponsorships. If everyone got the same money they would not be able to steal players or entice fans with average abilities. If everyone is super, no one would be.
Los Angeles Rams: ABC7 is the official preseason partner (2025), with ESPN LA providing comprehensive coverage.
New York Giants: NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 hold rights for preseason games.
Las Vegas Raiders.com: Partnered with Nexstar Media Group for pre-season games across multiple markets.
NFL teams generate significant revenue from preseason games, largely driven by ticket sales and in-stadium spending (concessions, parking) for home games.
While preseason tickets are cheaper, averaging around $45, a single, near-capacity preseason game can generate millions in local revenue, with 34% of that ticket revenue shared with the visiting team. There’s always a way to get around things.
wy69
He’s been out of the game for 5 years. And his former coaches are all part of OTHER PEOPLE’S networks. And who really wants to work for a guy they coached? A guy the are dramatically more qualified than?
Most coaches are failed players. They’re who had short careers built mostly on work without much in the way of natural physical talents. Frankly you just made another argument why hiring Rivers straight to head coach is a bad idea.
Dan Campbell started as a coaching intern and was promoted to TE coach. After 5 years of that he got the interim head coach gig when they fired their coach. Then he went to the Saints to be assistant head and TE coach. And finally got his first, and current, head coaching gig in 2021. 10 years of coaching experience before getting the top job. You just made another great argument why hiring Rivers as HC is a bad idea.
DeMeco Ryans was hired as defensive quality control coach. Was promoted to inside LB coach, then to DC. He got the HC job in Houston after 6 years of coaching experience. You just made another great argument why hiring Rivers as HC is a bad idea.
Jerod Mayo was hired as inside LB coach. Spent 5 years in that gig, Belichick’s departure triggered a clause in Mayo’s contract which got him the HC job. And the results were terrible. And he’s currently not employed in the NFL. You just made another great argument why hiring Rivers as HC is a bad idea.
Antonio Pierce, as you say started as a high school coach, did that for 3 years, then went to ASU, where he was LB coach, he was promoted to co-DC and then full DC, then he got busted for recruiting violation. He then went to the Raiders as LB coach, got the interim job when they fired Josh McDaniels, got the full gig, then got fired a couple of weeks ago. You just made another great argument why hiring Rivers as HC is a bad idea.
Actually these are people that very careers that worked their the system as assistant and position. Every single one you brought up when through the system and was a position coach in the NFL.
Being a head coach is a 100 hour a year job that involves salary cap management, roster management, arguing with the GM, discussing plan with the owner, and also all that actual coaching stuff. EVERYBODY needs to work their way up to that gig. You can’t start as a head coach. You just can’t.
Yes actually I see in EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE YOU BROUGHT a clear indication that needs years in the trade. You proved my point with your examples.
I’m not ranting at all. I’m pointing out the clear and obvious reality. The only person to every start at the top was Jeff Saturday, and he went 1-7. A person needs to season. Head coaches have an incredible amount of responsibility, and you’ve train up for that. You don’t start your career with Marathons. You work up to it.
Rivers could potentially be a very good HC. He’s a smart, he’s affable. But he needs to work to it. Like everybody else. If you jump him straight in he WILL fail. Just like Jeff Saturday. Which is everybody else that jumped straight to it.
U R very smart.
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