Derek Rivers Bio
Derek Rivers (born May 9, 1994) is an American professional football defensive end who has played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Youngstown State Penguins, where he set a school record for career sacks. He has been a member of the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts.
A third-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, Rivers earned a Super Bowl championship with the Patriots during the 2018 season. Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing around 250 pounds, he has spent his professional career rotating between active rosters and practice squads across multiple organizations.
Early Life and Background
Derek Rivers was born on May 9, 1994, in Augusta, Maine. When he was five months old, his family relocated to North Carolina, where he spent the remainder of his childhood. He attended Kinston High School in Kinston, where he developed into a promising defensive prospect.
After finishing high school, Rivers took a preparatory path at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, where he spent a year refining his game and academics. The post-graduate year helped him secure a college opportunity, and he eventually committed to Youngstown State University.
Path to American Football
Rivers joined the Youngstown State Penguins in 2013 and quickly established himself as a disruptive pass rusher. Over four college seasons, he accumulated a school-record 41 career sacks, including 14 as a senior, along with 56.5 tackles for loss, 47 quarterback hurries, and 119 solo tackles.
As a senior, Rivers led one of the top statistically rated defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the FCS National Championship game, where Youngstown State fell to James Madison University by a score of 24–14. He was a three-time First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and a two-time FCS All-American. Rivers finished his career ranked fifth all-time in FCS history in career sacks, generating enough attention to declare for the NFL Draft.
Derek Rivers Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
The New England Patriots selected Derek Rivers in the third round, 83rd overall, of the 2017 NFL Draft. His rookie season was cut short before it began when he suffered a torn ACL during training camp, which placed him on injured reserve for the entire year.
Rivers made his NFL debut in Week 3 of the 2018 season against the Detroit Lions. Later, in Week 17, he recorded his first career sack, taking down New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold. He appeared in six regular-season games that year, registering two solo tackles and one sack.
New England Patriots Era (2017–2020)
During the 2018 postseason, Rivers played in his first career playoff game, a win over the Los Angeles Chargers on January 13, 2019. He helped the Patriots reach Super Bowl LIII, although he was inactive for the championship game. New England defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3 to claim the title.
A knee injury in the 2019 preseason forced Rivers back to injured reserve for another full season. He returned healthy in 2020, recorded a sack in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, and was later placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in October before being released by New England on November 21, 2020. As a Patriot, Rivers appeared in 14 regular-season games and one postseason contest, tallying six tackles and 2.5 sacks across nearly four seasons.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2020)
On November 23, 2020, the Los Angeles Rams claimed Derek Rivers off waivers. He appeared in two regular-season games and both of the Rams’ postseason contests. Los Angeles saw its playoff run end with a 32–18 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Houston Texans Era (2021–2023)
Rivers signed with the Houston Texans on March 23, 2021. After being released at the end of August and quickly re-signed to the practice squad, he was promoted to the active roster on November 24 and signed a two-year, $1 million deal on December 9. He finished the season with one sack, a takedown of Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence on December 19.
In 2022, Rivers was placed on injured reserve on August 30 with a torn biceps tendon and missed the entire season. He re-signed with the Texans on March 16, 2023, but bounced between the active roster and practice squad multiple times before being released on November 1, 2023.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2023–2024)
The Indianapolis Colts signed Derek Rivers to their practice squad on December 7, 2023. After his practice squad contract expired, he became a free agent. Rivers was re-signed on August 14, 2024, released on August 25, and re-signed to the practice squad on September 24. He was released on November 12, re-signed a week later, and released again on November 25, 2024.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rivers is known for his length, leverage, and disciplined hand technique as an edge rusher. At 6 feet 5 inches, he uses his frame to set the edge against the run while flashing the burst to pressure quarterbacks. His preparation at Youngstown State and time spent within New England’s defensive system shaped his fundamentals as a rotational defensive end.
Notable Events and Milestones
Rivers earned a Super Bowl championship as part of the New England Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl LIII. He set the Youngstown State career sacks record and finished fifth in FCS history with 41 career sacks. He also recorded his first career NFL sack in 2018 against the New York Jets and later posted a memorable 2021 sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Derek Rivers Career Wins
Derek Rivers has accumulated professional honors primarily through his role on Super Bowl-winning and playoff-caliber rosters. While individual sack and tackle totals are available across multiple seasons, his most prominent achievement remains a Super Bowl LIII championship with the New England Patriots.
NFL Highlights
Rivers recorded his first career sack in Week 17 of the 2018 season against Sam Darnold and the New York Jets. His second NFL sack came in 2020 against Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins, and his third came in 2021 against Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Across his four NFL seasons with playing time, he has logged 2.5 career sacks.
Other Wins and Performances
At the college level, Rivers was a three-time First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and a two-time FCS All-American. His standout senior season helped Youngstown State reach the FCS National Championship Game, a clear high point of his collegiate résumé.
Derek Rivers Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Little public information is available regarding Derek Rivers’ parents or immediate family. He was raised primarily in North Carolina after his family moved from Augusta, Maine, when he was an infant.
Personal Life
Details about Derek Rivers’ marital status and family life are not widely publicized. His social media presence, including an Instagram account under the handle d_rivers11, provides occasional glimpses into his off-field interests.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into 2025, Derek Rivers is a veteran defensive end whose most recent NFL action came in 2024 with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad. With experience across multiple organizations, he remains a candidate to compete for a depth role along an NFL defensive line.
Rivers’ career has been shaped by injuries and practice-squad movement, but his size, FCS pedigree, and Super Bowl pedigree still make him an intriguing depth option. Whether he secures an active-roster spot or returns on a practice squad will likely depend on late-preseason opportunities.
Regardless of where he lands, Rivers brings a strong developmental foundation from New England’s system and a championship résumé that could appeal to contending teams looking for veteran edge depth in 2025.