Philip Rivers and the Colts nearly managed an upset win yesterday. The recently unretired passer will receive at the very least yet one more look atop the depth chart.
To little surprise, head coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Monday that Rivers will start in Week 16 against the 49ers. The 44-year-old returned to the NFL five years after his retirement to fill in for Daniel Jones. With Jones recovering from a torn Achilles and rookie Riley Leonard coping with a PCL sprain, Rivers could finish the 12 months within the QB1 spot. Anthony Richardson might be nearing a return, nonetheless.
On the time Rivers signed with the Colts, Richardson had yet to be cleared for football activities. That has now modified, though, as Mike Chappell of Fox59 reports. The previous No. 4 pick has been on injured reserve since suffering an orbital bone fracture during warmups in October. The most recent update on this example indicated it was still unclear whether or not a return to motion would happen by the tip of the season.
On that note, Steichen said (via Joel A Erickson of the Indy Star) it’s yet to be determined if Richardson’s practice window will open this week. Within the event that were to happen, his 21-day activation period would begin. A return to the fold in Richardson’s case would at the very least provide Indianapolis with a depth option under center. It could also allow the Florida product – whose future may be very much doubtful – to offer a slight boost to his value late within the campaign.
For now, the Colts’ focus will probably be geared toward preparing Rivers for one more start. Taking the reins one week after being contacted by Steichen and Co., he accomplished 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 yards against the Seahawks. Indianapolis connected on a go-ahead field goal late within the fourth quarter, but Seattle managed to match it moments later. Rivers then threw an interception on the Colts’ final possession, ending the team’s probabilities of winning.
Indianapolis now sits at 8-6 consequently. With the Jaguars and Texans each winning yesterday, top spot within the AFC South is increasingly getting out of reach. The Chargers and Bills also won in Week 15, meaning a wild-card berth will difficult to realize as well. In any case, Rivers will look to construct off his performance from yesterday because the Colts contemplate their options under center.