Philip Rivers has something to say.

"I'm Philip Rivers, quarterback, and I'm retiring as a Charger."

The Chargers shared the news Monday that the legendary quarterback is retiring with the team he spent 16 seasons with, and Rivers recently told Chargers.com that doing so with the Bolts was always something near and dear to his heart.

"It's really, in the past handful of years, been my desire [to retire] as a Charger. It was more so the timing," Rivers said. "Gratitude is the first thing that comes to mind. Just thankful. Thankful for my time there as a Charger.

"Sixteen years … a lot of my adult life was there in that organization and around all those people and teammates. I'm overwhelmingly thankful more than anything," Rivers added.

John Spanos, Chargers President of Football Operations, said Rivers will always hold a special place in franchise lore and that No. 17 retiring as a Charger was always a given.

"He and I have had discussions over the last several years, ever since his first year when he wasn't playing," Spanos said. "We had a really good conversation and there was a lot of gratitude expressed back and forth, from me personally and on the team's behalf for everything he's meant to us and all our fans as well as from him for what the Chargers mean to him.

"He made it known back then he wanted to retire a Charger, and I obviously expressed that we would love that to happen as soon as he was ready," Spanos continued. "I think we both knew this day was coming for a few years now, but the key thing that I expressed to Philip was that I wanted the timing to be something he was good with. He had to be ready to close that door.

"He's such a competitive guy, so I'm sure the possibility of still playing might have existed for him," Spanos added. "From our standpoint, we were going to be good with whatever the timing was. We just wanted the opportunity, whenever that time came, to honor him."

With the moment having now arrived, Spanos could not stress enough how immensely grateful the organization is to Rivers for everything he's done for the franchise.

"It's very meaningful for us because of how important of a player he has been – and still is – for this franchise and all that he accomplished while he was here," Spanos said. "It's about all he did for the team, both on and off the field, how he represented himself, how he competed, the drive he had to succeed and the success that we had when he was here.

"For all those reasons, it was extremely important to us that we make this special for Philip," Spanos added.

Rivers, who lives in his home state of Alabama and serves as the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, knew that members of the team's support staff were coming to town to one, help him make this personal announcement and two, shoot content for teammate Antonio Gates' induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

What he didn't know was that the Chargers decided to bring four of his offensive linemen — Nick Hardwick, Kris Dielman, Marcus McNeill and Jeromey Clary — with them to surprise him and help make the moment a true family affair.

"It was super incredible, and it all timed up perfectly. His back was to us when we walked in and he was just shocked. It was perfect," said Hardwick, who is now the assistant offensive line coach for the Chargers.

"It was awesome to see all the guys and spend time together. Then you throw Phil in the mix and its endless stories," Hardwick continued. "We probably tried to say goodbye for about 45 minutes, but it was, 'One more story, one more story!' We just couldn't help it. It was like we had never left when we all got together."

While his stats and accolades speak for themselves, it's hard to know where to begin with the superlatives. An eight-time Pro Bowler, Rivers holds more than 30 Chargers records and led the Bolts to four straight AFC West titles from 2006-09.

And, of course, there are his 224 consecutive starts at quarterback.

He is the franchise leader in nearly every possible statistical passing category, including yards (59,271), touchdowns (397), completions (4,908) and attempts (7,591).

Rivers also orchestrated 32 game-winning drives and 28 fourth-quarter comebacks. It all added up to 123 wins as the Chargers starting quarterback, a number that obviously ranks first in team history.

"There are so many things I can say about Philip Rivers," Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson told Chargers.com. "I think the one thing that I will always remember is I never felt like we were going to lose when he was playing quarterback.

"The confidence that he exuded really permeated throughout the entire team," Tomlinson added. "And then, the fact of his ability to connect with everyone on the team, no matter your background or your race. He was truly a great leader."

Yet for all the 300-yard games and memorable moments in Rivers' career, what he remembers most — and what he is probably most remembered for — is simply the way he played the game.

Because, dadgummit, almost nobody loved the game more than Rivers, who became known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and letting his opponents know what was on his mind.

"There are some clips I look at and shake my head," Rivers said. "Some are a little bit embarrassing and some where I go, 'Dang, that was a lot of fun. I was having a blast.' But knowing who I am, I know I was having a blast. Is there an edginess to it? Are you trying to get under the skin of the opponent? Of course.

"But it was just a lot of fun and again, it's in the backyard. It's nothing I wouldn't have said to my brother when we were arguing about something playing when we were kids," Rivers continued.

"It never changed. It was in the backyard in Decatur, Alabama … and then it just so happened to be at Qualcomm Stadium or Arrowhead Stadium or Mile High Stadium. That is a little more magnified," Rivers added.

Hardwick and Spanos both used the word "infectious" when describing what it was like to be around Rivers on a daily basis.

"It could be a middle-of-the-week practice and it could be a rep against the scout team and you could feel the importance of that play," Spanos said. "He would get mad if someone on the defense knocked it down. It would fire him up.

"A big part of what made him so great was that he had that drive and everything mattered so much to him," Spanos continued. "I remember he gave a talk once after practice where he spoke about the phrase, 'Everything matters.' And his point was that it can't just be game day that matters. The practices have to matter too, and he embodied that.

"And there's no doubt that it rubbed off on his teammates, and it was a big part of why we had so much success with him here," Spanos added.

"When somebody comes to work like that, it was hard not to buy into it," Hardwick explained. "He still found so much joy in all the little things after so many years. That spirit — he was obviously very committed to winning and highly competitive — but you can still keep it in perspective and remember where you're at."

Hardwick recalled a speech Rivers gave late during the 2012 season, a year in which the Chargers finished 7-9.

"It was one of the only years we were out of the playoffs before the very end of the season. It was our last game and guys were kind of moping around the locker room," Hardwick recalled. "He called us all up and he said, 'Remember, there was a time when you were a 5-year-old little boy. If they asked if you wanted to play in the NFL, you wouldn't care if the game didn't mean anything, and you wouldn't care if there were playoff implications or not. None of that would affect you. You would get to wear an NFL jersey with your name on the back and you would have given everything you had to do that. What's different now?'

"That was really his approach," Hardwick continued. "That one speech always hits me, especially if I'm having a down moment, feel tired or whatever. You just kind of remember when you were a kid.

"We are living a dream. And he brought that enthusiasm every single day, all day long. It was powerful and contiguous, especially when it's your leader who is that kind of way," Hardwick added.

So rejoice, Bolt Fam.

Philip Rivers has retired as a Charger. And his love for the team remains stronger than ever.

"When I think about what I miss the most, it's the people. It's teammates … at the facility, on the practice field," Rivers reminisced. "You miss those moments and interactions with people. There were so many highlights and fun Sundays at Qualcomm [Stadium] and on the road … so many in-game moments.

"But what I miss, and what I'm most appreciative and thankful for, are those relationships and the things that were behind the scenes. What we lived every day is what was most memorable," Rivers continued.

"The wins that we had were awesome. But the growth moments you had, the experiences you still had with your teammates … we still had it pretty dang good," Rivers added. "We were battling, working together. These times were testing us but, shoot, we got to come to work every day and go play in the National Football League."