Derek Rivers Bio
Derek Rivers (born May 9, 1994) is an American professional football defensive end who has spent time across multiple National Football League (NFL) franchises since entering the league in 2017. He played college football for the Youngstown State Penguins, where he built a reputation as a relentless pass rusher. Across his professional career, Rivers has been a member of the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams, the Houston Texans, and the Indianapolis Colts, and he is a Super Bowl champion from the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl LIII.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and listed at 250 pounds, Rivers fits the modern prototype for an edge rusher, combining length with the leverage needed to set the edge against the run. Although his regular-season résumé has been shaped by injuries and roster moves, his career path through four NFL teams and a championship ring has made him a familiar name among fans of depth-chart football.
Early Life and Background
Derek Rivers was born on May 9, 1994, in Augusta, Maine. When he was just five months old, his family relocated to North Carolina, the state he would come to call home throughout his childhood. Growing up in the Tar Heel State, Rivers was introduced to football at a young age, and the sport quickly became a central focus of his life.
He attended Kinston High School in Kinston, North Carolina, where he developed into a promising defensive prospect. Following his high school graduation, Rivers took a nontraditional route to the college level, spending a year at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. The post-graduate year helped him add size and polish to his game, preparing him for the demands of Division I college football.
Path to American Football
Rivers arrived at Youngstown State University in 2013, joining a program that competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From the start, he showed a knack for getting into the backfield, and his production grew each season as he gained experience against Missouri Valley Football Conference competition. He earned three consecutive First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selections and was named an FCS All-American twice, honors that reflected his consistency and dominance at the subdivision level.
As a senior, Rivers helped lead one of the top statistical defenses in the FCS to the National Championship game, where the Penguins ultimately fell to James Madison University by a score of 24–14. He set a Youngstown State record with 41 career sacks, including 14 in his final season, and finished his career ranked fifth all-time in FCS history in career sacks. His college résumé, capped by that championship appearance, was enough to draw the attention of NFL scouts in the spring of 2017.
Derek Rivers Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
The New England Patriots selected Rivers in the third round, 83rd overall, of the 2017 NFL Draft, betting on his FCS production translating to the professional level. His rookie year, however, never got off the ground. During training camp, Rivers suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2017, forcing him to redshirt his first NFL season.
Rivers made his NFL debut in Week 3 of the 2018 season against the Detroit Lions. In Week 17, he recorded his first career sack, taking down rookie quarterback Sam Darnold in a win over the New York Jets. He appeared in his first postseason game on January 13, 2019, helping the Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round. Rivers played in six regular-season games that year, recording two solo tackles and one sack.
New England Patriots Breakthrough (2017–2020)
Although his personal statistics in New England were modest, Rivers’ tenure with the Patriots was bookended by some of the most significant moments of his young career. After the 2018 postseason, in which the Patriots reached Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams, Rivers was inactive for the championship game but earned a Super Bowl ring when New England won 13–3 to claim the title.
His time in New England was disrupted by a second major injury in the 2019 preseason, when a knee issue in Week 2 sent him back to injured reserve for the entire year. Rivers returned to make the 53-man roster coming out of the shortened 2020 preseason and recorded a sack of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in a Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins. As a Patriot, he appeared in 14 regular-season games across nearly four seasons, making six tackles with 2.5 sacks, and played in one postseason contest. The Patriots released him on November 21, 2020, to make room on the roster.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2020)
Just two days after his release, on November 23, 2020, the Los Angeles Rams claimed Rivers off waivers. His stint in Los Angeles was brief but productive in a postseason sense, as he appeared in two regular-season games and both of the Rams’ playoff contests, which ended with a 32–18 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round.
Houston Texans Era (2021–2023)
On March 23, 2021, Rivers signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent, beginning the most stable stretch of his professional career. After a brief release and a stint on the practice squad early in the year, he was promoted to the active roster on November 24, 2021, and the Texans signed him to a two-year, $1 million extension on December 9, 2021. He closed that season by recording his first sack in nearly a year, taking down rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence in a December 19 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 2022 season was wiped out by injury, as Rivers was placed on injured reserve on August 30, 2022, with a torn biceps tendon and missed the entire year. He re-signed with the Texans on March 16, 2023, but his 2023 campaign was marked by a series of practice-squad moves, shuttling between the active roster and the practice squad before his release on November 1, 2023.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2023–2024)
On December 7, 2023, Rivers signed with the Indianapolis Colts practice squad, joining his fourth NFL team. He was not tendered a reserve or future contract following the season, making him a free agent. The Colts re-signed him on August 14, 2024, then released him eleven days later. Rivers was brought back to the practice squad on September 24, 2024, and split the rest of the season between the practice squad and the active roster, with his most recent release coming on November 25, 2024.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rivers is built in the mold of a classic 4-3 defensive end, with the long arms, lean frame, and motor to pursue quarterbacks upfield. His college résumé at Youngstown State demonstrated a refined rip move and the ability to convert speed into power at the line of scrimmage. At the NFL level, he has primarily contributed as a rotational pass rusher and special teams participant, with coaches valuing his preparation and work ethic in practice even when his snap counts have been limited.
Notable Events and Milestones
The defining milestone of Rivers’ career remains his membership on the 2018 New England Patriots squad that defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, earning him a championship ring. He also owns the Youngstown State record for career sacks with 41 and ranks fifth in FCS history in that category, a mark that underscores his pass-rushing pedigree. His first NFL sack of Sam Darnold and his first Texans sack of Trevor Lawrence stand out as personal milestones for the veteran end.
Derek Rivers Career Wins
Derek Rivers’ career wins are anchored by team success rather than a long list of personal awards. The headline achievement is his Super Bowl LIII championship with the New England Patriots following the 2018 season, when the defense shut down the Rams’ high-powered offense in a 13–3 victory. Rivers also has postseason experience with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2020 divisional round and has been part of multiple winning locker rooms in the regular season as a depth contributor.
NFL Highlights
Across his NFL career, Rivers has posted 16 total tackles and 3.5 sacks, numbers that reflect his role as a situational pass rusher and special teams player. His first career sack came against Sam Darnold of the New York Jets in the 2018 regular-season finale, while his most recent verified sack was a 2021 takedown of Trevor Lawrence with the Houston Texans. Although he has not been selected to a Pro Bowl or earned a major individual award, his longevity through four franchises speaks to the value teams have placed on his tools and his professionalism.
Derek Rivers Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Derek Rivers’ immediate family is limited. He was raised in a household that moved from Augusta, Maine, to North Carolina when he was still an infant, and his upbringing in and around Kinston, North Carolina, helped shape his early path in football. No further details about his parents or siblings have been publicly verified.
Personal Life
Outside of football, Rivers has kept his personal life largely out of the public eye. He has not publicly disclosed a spouse, partner, or children, and there are no widely reported details about his residence or community activities. His public presence is primarily connected to his professional football career.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into 2025, Derek Rivers remains a free agent after his final release from the Indianapolis Colts practice squad in November 2024. With the regular NFL calendar in full swing, his most realistic path back to a roster will come through a workout with a team in need of edge-rushing depth, a signing to a practice squad, or a veteran-minimum deal late in the offseason. His familiarity with multiple defensive systems in New England, Los Angeles, Houston, and Indianapolis gives him a level of scheme versatility that could appeal to clubs looking for a rotational end.
Even with a Super Bowl ring and more than 25 games of NFL experience on his résumé, Rivers will be competing against younger, cheaper developmental players for limited roster spots. A strong showing in training camp or a preseason opportunity could be enough to land him a spot on a 53-man roster, while another practice-squad season remains a likely floor for a player of his experience level. Regardless of the route, 2025 represents an opportunity for Rivers to extend a career that has already spanned more than seven professional seasons.