Shawne Merriman: Philip Rivers Delaying NFL Retirement Because He Still Wants to Play

NFL quarterback injuries have been a major concern this season, but to hear former San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman tell it, teams in need of depth should call Philip Rivers.

Merriman told TMZ Sports the reason Rivers hasn't officially retired yet is because he "still wants to play" in the NFL.

"I still think Philip can play another year or two if a team gets down here in the playoffs and they need a quarterback to come off the street," Merriman said. "Phil can do it."

Merriman and Rivers were teammates with the Chargers during the quarterback's impressive career.

The signal-caller was an eight-time Pro Bowler who threw for more than 4,000 yards 12 different times, including when he led the league with 4,710 passing yards in 2010. He also threw for 4,169 yards on the Indianapolis Colts in his final season in 2020.

Yet Rivers is 42 years old at this point and hasn't played in the NFL since that 2020 campaign.

That is a lot of time away from the game to step in cold and start throwing passes while facing live defenses.

But Merriman believes he can do it.