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The Indianapolis Colts have not ruled out starting Philip Rivers at quarterback after luring the grandfather out of retirement amid an injury crisis.
The Colts lost starter Daniel Jones for the season after he tore his achilles on Sunday, while their first-round pick in 2023, Anthony Richardson, is out with a broken orbital bone he suffered in October. With backup Riley Leonard dealing with a knee injury, the Colts turned to the 44-year-old Rivers, who retired at the end of the 2020 season. Rivers, who has been a high school coach since his retirement and recently welcomed his first grandchild, played for the Colts in his final season after a long stint with the Chargers.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen is close friends with Rivers and approached him about returning to the NFL.
“I said, ‘What do you think?’” Steichen said on Wednesday. “He said, ‘Dadgummit, let’s freaking go.”
Steichen did not rule out the possibility of Rivers starting Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
“We’ll see how the week goes,” Steichen said. “We’ll get to the end of the week and make that decision.”
Rivers, known for his enthusiasm and intensity during his playing career, said he was delighted with his chance to return to the NFL.
“Something about it excited me and it’s kind of one of those deals, the door opens and you either walk through it and find out if you can do it or you run from it,” he said. “I know there’s risk involved, what may or may not happen, but the only way to find out is going for it.”
Rivers was listed at 6ft 5in and 228lb in his final season in the NFL. On Wednesday, he conceded he may be heavier now.
“I don’t know [my weight now], just being honest,” he said, drawing laughter from reporters. “It’s not what it was when I walked away. I follow up with that, though, that I never ran away from anybody anyway.”
Rivers said he was confident he could handle the physical challenges of the NFL in his fifth decade.
“I’m trying to pick it back up,” he said. “I’ve still been very into [football since I retired]. But, yeah, it is a physical game and it’s fast and dudes are big and fast, just like they were. So, shoot, you take it a day at a time. And I do feel good. There’s something about being back in this building that feels right and I’m just thankful.”
The Colts looked set for the postseason when they topped the AFC South with an 8-2 record, but have since lost three games in a row and are just outside the final playoff place in the AFC. The Colts’ remaining schedule is tough as they face four teams who look set for the postseason: the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars and Texans.
Rivers, an eight-time Pro Bowler, is seventh in NFL history for passing yards (63,440) and sixth in touchdown passes (421). He led the Colts to the playoffs in his final season, throwing 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
