The San Francisco 49ers were seriously interested in signing Philip Rivers during the 2022 season after losing two quarterbacks to injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was a strong proponent of the idea and remained intrigued by the retired veteran, who last played in 2020.
However, the 49ers wanted to evaluate then-rookie Brock Purdy before making any major moves. Purdy quickly impressed, guiding San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game before suffering his devastating elbow injury.
Throughout that impressive run, the 49ers stayed in close contact with Rivers. The retired quarterback remained available as an emergency option and stayed in regular communication with the coaching staff.
"I definitely can't remember this exactly, but I remember [49ers GM John] Lynch asking me if I would be interested," Shanahan said Thursday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "And I was like, 'Are you serious? Philip Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and he could play when he retired, so of course I'd be interested.'"
Shanahan believes he spoke with Rivers personally after Jimmy Garoppolo's injury against the Miami Dolphins—the game in which Purdy stepped in and helped secure a win. Rivers expressed genuine interest in joining the 49ers, and Shanahan was open to the possibility under the right circumstances.
Shanahan continued, "He was asking about time and stuff, and I was like, 'Well, listen here. We have a real good feeling about this rookie that we have. He hasn't played, obviously, but we don't have a backup either, and there's a lot of football to go, and we have a really good team. We're going to give this guy a shot, but we want you to keep being prepared. One, for if there's an injury. Or two, if he's not quite ready once he gets out there, because our team's too good.'"
Purdy, of course, played exceptionally well, and the 49ers kept winning. Even Rivers acknowledged how impressive the young quarterback was.
"I remember talking to Philip through it, and [he] was just like, 'Man, you're right. This guy is playing good, but I'll be ready if there's an injury,'" Shanahan said. "And so, Philip, our players didn't know or anything, but he was always in our install meetings on Zoom, and he was studying stuff like that, and watching it, usually with his son, and preparing for that moment.
"And Brock just went on such a roll, never lost a game. And I just remember, when he tore his UCL in the playoff game, sitting there, whenever it was, the first quarter, and I remember them telling me he tore his UCL. And I was like, 'What does that mean?' They're like, 'That means he's done.' I go, 'For the game?' And they're like, 'No, he's done for the year. He's going to have to get surgery.'
"And right there, I was like, 'All right, we've got to win this. And I hope Philip's still ready, because that means he's coming next week.'"
San Francisco never got the chance. The 49ers fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to the Super Bowl. Had Purdy not been injured, it could have been the Niners advancing instead.
Shanahan's story illustrates how long the 49ers kept communication open with Rivers, and how seriously they considered signing the longtime NFL quarterback.
Rivers is back in the news again this week after pausing his retirement to return to the Indianapolis Colts, the team he played one season for in 2020. Shanahan has been asked about Rivers repeatedly because the 49ers and Colts are set to face off in Week 16, following San Francisco's matchup against the Tennessee Titans this weekend.
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