"I have a ton of respect for Rivers": $70M worth Bill Belichick raves about ex-NFL QB's heroics with torn ACL

On Thursday, Bill Belichick made an appearance on the 'Sports Injury Central' show, where he talked about former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers. The retired 8x Pro Bowler spent 17 seasons in the league, primarily with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The 2007-08 season will be remembered as Philip Rivers' most gutsy campaign in his NFL career. The Chargers took on Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The quarterback participated in the showdown six days after being injured with a torn ACL and meniscus.

The $70M worth (per Celebrity Net Worth) North Carolina Tar Heels coach showed his respect for Philip Rivers after his heroics despite suffering a serious injury. The quarterback managed to put up 211 passing yards while completing 19 of the 37 passes he attempted as the Chargers lost 21-12.

"He (Philip Rivers) played well," Belichick said. "I mean, that was another courageous performance I'll tell you that....I mean, he hung in there and we tried to get after him. But, I mean, he showed a lot of toughness as he did his entire career. He was a tough football player."

"But yeah, what a competitor. What a competitive game that was. I have a ton of respect for Rivers." (TS- 17:35 onwards)

Ahead of the 2020 season, Philip Rivers signed a one-year deal to play for the Indianapolis Colts. He helped the team to an 11-5 campaign while losing the Wild Card playoff game to the Buffalo Bills. In January 2021, Rivers hung up his cleats and began his journey as the head coach of St. Michael Catholic High School.

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Philip Rivers once recalled story of Bill Belichick's strict coaching regime

In 2019, Philip Rivers shared a story about Bill Belichick, highlighting his strictness as a coach. During the 2011 Pro Bowl, the Patriots' coach was not happy with his AFC team trailing 42-7 against the NFC team.

Rivers opened up about the kind of pep talk Belichick gave them and how he chewed out the players for underperforming on the field.

"We were getting killed ... and it was me, Peyton(Manning) and (Matt) Cassel. We were getting blown out at halftime, and he kind of called us and said, 'Hey, can we tackle. I know it's the Pro Bowl and all that, but can we tackle somebody today?'

"And then he looks at us quarterbacks. We had all thrown an interception....and he said, 'And it'd help if you guys stop throwing it to the other team.'"

To some extent, Bill Belichick's advice worked in favor of his team. Despite the loss, they managed to trim the deficit to 55-41.