Could Bills QB Josh Allen want Philip Rivers as his next head coach? 

Recent whispers hinted that former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll was the favorite to become the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills due to his relationship with star quarterback Josh Allen. 

It appears the Bills could also consider hiring a unique first-time coaching candidate. 

What will Bills, Philip Rivers talk about? 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and others revealed that the Bills are interviewing longtime quarterback Philip Rivers for their head-coaching job on Friday. Rivers hadn't played in an NFL game since the 2020 campaign before he shockingly returned to feature for the Indianapolis Colts late this season. 

Earlier this month, Rivers confirmed he doesn't plan to take another meaningful in-game snap. The 44-year-old also made it known he'd be "open" to speaking with teams about head-coaching opportunities. 

Rivers has spent some of his retirement working as a high-school head coach, but he's never been on a staff at a high level. Such a lack of experience didn't stop the Houston Texans from giving quarterback Josh McCown a job interview in January 2021. McCown is currently the quarterbacks coach of the Minnesota Vikings. 

How serious could Josh Allen's interest be in Philip Rivers? 

Multiple reports have said that Allen "is going to play a major role in not only consulting, but selecting the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills" after the club parted ways with Sean McDermott earlier this week. Specifically, Dianna Russini of The Athletic mentioned on Friday that Allen "is sitting in for everything" during meetings with candidates and "will have significant say on the next coach." 

Meanwhile, Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle noted that Allen "will be in on the meetings with head coach candidates" and "has built a close relationship through the years with Rivers." 

Maiorana also suggested Rivers isn't a serious candidate to win the Buffalo job. 

"What could be happening here is the Bills are tapping into Rivers’ vast knowledge of offense at the NFL level and pumping him for ideas on how to get the very best out of Allen and the rest of the Bills’ offense," Maiorana wrote. 

That said, it remains to be seen how Bills owner Terry Pegula and general manager/president of football operations Brandon Beane would react if Allen tells them he is convinced he would play at his "very best" with Rivers serving as his next head coach.  

"Rivers would be a very nice resource for the Bills to tap into, but for them to actually offer him the job seems unlikely," Maiorana added.