Philip Rivers has not played since a narrow Colts wild-card loss to the Bills in January 2021. That ended a one-and-done stint with Indianapolis, and Rivers’ retirement accelerated the franchise’s post-Andrew Luck quarterback carousel. Someway, Rivers is coming back to the Colts after nearly five years away, being signed to the team’s practice squad following a workout.
Despite the QB’s absence, the Colts have a high variety of players (14) still around from his 2020 season on the town. The Colts have hung onto the core of their team despite having missed every playoff bracket since Rivers’ first stint ended, but Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear deals what might be a crippling blow to that nucleus’ possibilities of playing in one other postseason game. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Colts a 26% probability to make the playoffs. They’ve gone to a historically interesting place to extend those odds.
Following Jones’ injury, Rivers — who turned 44 on Monday — said he wondered if Shane Steichen would call on him on this emergency circumstance. Steichen, who’s 4 years younger than the Colts’ most up-to-date QB signing, was with the Chargers from 2014-20. This involved a four-year overlap as QBs coach and a part of the 2019 season because the Bolts’ interim OC. Rivers being close with Steichen and GM Chris Ballard, who remains to be in place from when he played on a one-year, $25MM deal, helped make this improbable return occur.
Steichen called Rivers on Sunday to debate a comeback. This was not the primary time Rivers was contacted a few comeback. As our Ben Levine reminded Monday, the 49ers would have began him in Super Bowl LVII had they made it past the favored Eagles following Brock Purdy‘s UCL tear.
Kyle Shanahan confirmed Wednesday (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman) he talked with Rivers after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s December 2022 foot fracture, however the coach mentioned the team felt good about Purdy — then a rookie, the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant draftee — so it stood down on a signing. Had San Francisco made the Super Bowl that 12 months, though, Rivers would have began. A Saints 2021 comeback also floated as a possibility, as Jameis Winston had torn an ACL.
Those overtures made a bit more sense than this one, since Rivers has been out of the sport so long. The 2004 draftee said (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) he discussed the comeback together with his wife and a number of associates before deciding to offer it a try.
“[Football] is a game I really like to play, a game that I assumed I used to be done playing. Actually, I wasn’t really hanging on to any hope of playing again,” Rivers said. “I sort of thought that ship had sailed. But something about it excited me. And it’s sort of one in every of those deals; the door opens and you’ll be able to either walk through it and discover in case you can do it or run from it.”
While not a Hall of Fame lock, Rivers is in his first 12 months of eligibility; he was named a semifinalist for the 2026 class recently. This reemergence will delay his potential induction by no less than five years. Drew Brees, the quarterback Rivers replaced in San Diego, will undoubtedly be enshrined this 12 months after retiring in January 2021.
“I’d not given any thought of truly playing again until about 48 hours ago, to be honest with you, but this wasn’t just anyplace or any coach. It’s not like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’ll see what happens within the league and see if I can prepare,’” Rivers said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Brown. “The Hall of Fame is an actual honor. To be mentioned with those other 25 guys, but I’m not holding my breath on that.
“And I hadn’t been counting down the years, with all respect to the Hall. If at some point I might be a part of that group, it could be special – little question about it. However the extension of that point, if that involves be, is just not a consider my decision.”
This Rivers comeback even surpasses the duration of ex-starter Steve DeBerg‘s within the Nineties; DeBerg had retired following the 1993 season, only to be asked back for a 1998 return — also at age 44. DeBerg, nonetheless, served as Chris Chandler‘s Falcons backup that 12 months. He made one start — against the Bill Parcells– and Bill Belichick-coached Jets — that ended with a 28-3 Jets win. Rivers’ reemergence is clearly a higher-profile transaction, and Steichen confirmed it could mean a Week 15 starting project against a 10-3 Seahawks team.
Steichen didn’t slam the door on Rivers playing even when Riley Leonard is healthy enough to go. Leonard, who suffered a PCL sprain upon relieving Jones, practiced fully today, but Holder points to Rivers being the more likely Indy starter against a high-end Seattle defense.
Rivers has considerable familiarity with Steichen’s offense, right all the way down to using a version of it at St. Michael Catholic High (Fairhope, Ala.). That influenced his decision to return, and the six-year overlap with Steichen in San Diego and Los Angeles is poised to offer the third-year Indianapolis HC a memorable decision.
Rivers is an eight-time Pro Bowler who led the Colts to an 11-5 season under Frank Reich, throwing 24 touchdown passes in comparison with 11 interceptions. After a down 2019, that 2020 season may play a key role in Rivers’ Hall of Fame case. It is extremely unlikely this 2025 cameo will, but it surely definitely guarantees to be amongst essentially the most memorable comebacks in NFL history.
“I’m not here to stinking save the 12 months or be a hero by any means,” Rivers said, via Yahoo’s Jori Epstein. “We got to stinking run the crap out of the football and play defense and do all those things. So if that involves be, and I’m the one which’s on the market, I’m not here to try to save lots of the day. I’m going to know where I’m limited. And as we go, it is going to recover, if that’s the route we find yourself going.”