Once Philip Rivers‘ cope with the Colts was officially in place, attention turned to the matter of when he would play. The now-unretired passer looks to be heading in the right direction to make his NFL return this Sunday.
Rivers has practiced each of the past two days, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes it is evident which quarterback the Colts are preparing to get the nod for Week 15. Barring an unexpected development, Rivers will likely be in place against the Seahawks. Provided that proves to be the case, it should add further to considered one of the NFL’s most interesting and unexpected stories in recent memory.
Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear ended his impressive debut season in Indianapolis and left the Colts thin on the QB depth chart. Backup Anthony Richardson stays on injured reserve, while sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard suffered a PCL sprain in Week 14 upon taking up from Jones. Brett Rypien is on the energetic roster after spending time on the practice squad, but Rivers is viewed as a greater option for leading the Colts back right into a playoff spot down the stretch.
Comebacks have been considered on multiple occasion within the 44-year-old’s case, but that is the primary which has come to bear. Rivers immediately expressed interest in a second Colts stint upon being contacted by the team this past Sunday, as detailed by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Rivers and head coach Shane Steichen (who worked together during their shared time with the Chargers) have remained in touch since their time together ended, with the previous using the latter’s offense on the highschool team he coaches.
Rivers will presumably reprise his role as the pinnacle coach of his eldest son’s HS team next fall. Before that time, nonetheless, he’s in line to briefly resume his NFL playing profession. Doing so will restart the eight-time Pro Bowler’s five-year waiting period with respect to eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Within the meantime, Rivers will aim to guide the Colts to a win against a Seahawks defense which ranks near the highest of the NFL in several categories.
Indianapolis sits at 8-5, an illustration of how far the team has fallen from a hugely successful begin to the campaign. With the Jaguars (9-4) and Texans (8-5) firmly in contention for the AFC South title, a house playoff game is way less certain than it once looked. Securing a wild-card spot will likely be a powerful challenge in its own right, and if the Colts are to attain that feat it appears Rivers will likely be tasked with handling QB1 duties instantly.