Philip Rivers to the Bills? The Buffalo Bills are still looking for a new head coach after firing Sean McDermott for lack of success in the postseason. Yet another year, the Bills couldn’t get to the AFC championship game, and the front office had enough of McDermott.
On Friday, January 23, there was an update on the odds for who is most likely to fill the vacancy at Buffalo. Former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll seems to be the most favored coach, but the second-best odds went to an unlikely candidate: former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers.
Here’s the list of the coaches with the best odds to become the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills:
- Brian Daboll (+150)
- Philip Rivers (+200)
- Joe Brady (+700)
- Klint Kubiak (+750)
- Davis Webb (+800)
- Mike McDaniel (10/1)
- Grant Udinski (12/1)
- Chris Shula (33/1)
- Mike McCarthy (33/1)
- Lou Anarumo (33/1)
- Bill Belichick (33/1)
- Jon Gruden (33/1)
His rise in the odds came on the same day that it was revealed that Rivers had an interview with the Bills’ front office. This came as a surprise for some, as Rivers’ only coaching experience is at the high school level. The signal-caller did have a jump in his public profile between December 2025 and January 2026, as he temporarily came out of retirement to lead the Indianapolis Colts in the last few games of their season.
When asked earlier in January if he would want to coach in the NFL, here’s what Philip Rivers had to say:
“I do think, as humbly as I can say it, that I could coach at this level. I know enough about the game and about the guys, and from a leadership standpoint, camaraderie, all that comes with it. But again, that’s not something that I’m sitting here pursuing.”
Josh Allen’s Opinion on Philip Rivers
Josh Allen spoke about Philip Rivers during the latter’s second stint with the Indianapolis Colts during the tail end of the 2025 NFL regular season. It’s clear that he has nothing but admiration for Rivers.
“[Rivers’ return is] really cool. I didn’t know what to expect, obviously, when he came back, but it’s really awesome,” Allen said in December. “Just the way that he’s gone back out there. He was deciphering that defense extremely well and making some plays for his team, and it was inspiring to watch.”
It remains to be seen if admiration from player to player turns into respect for a coach. For the time being, it looks like Philip Rivers is emerging as a dark horse for the Buffalo Bills head coaching vacancy.
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