According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Indianapolis Colts are signing 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers, who is coming out of retirement with his old team.
This is indeed a desperate call for a desperate measure, given that the Colts are facing a winless finish regardless of who they turn to at quarterback. The 8-5 Colts currently sit just outside of the AFC’s 7th playoff spot, with the Houston Texans serving as its placeholder thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker over Indy. The Colts are no longer in control of their own destiny; thus, they are trying to create a destiny from thin air with such a move.
Colts Starting quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) is out for the season, and the primary backup, Anthony Richardson (orbital fracture), has yet to be given a timetable to return from injury.
Rookie quarterback Riley Leonard filled the void on Sunday against the Jaguars once Jones went down, but a sustained knee injury in relief muddied the waters to make the Rivers signing even possible. Had Leonard been healthy, this move wouldn’t have even been entertained. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Leonard is ‘week-to-week’ with a strained knee ligament, effectively putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. Given that practice squad quarterback Brett Rypien only has four career starts to his name, kicking the tires on Rivers checks out.
The 44-year-old quarterback last played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2020-21 before ultimately retiring following a Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Rivers led the Colts to their last double-digit win season and playoff berth, an 11-5 showing where he put up the following numbers:
369-543 (68%), 4,169 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 19 times sacked in all 16 starts
Rivers was called up on Monday, coincidentally his 44th birthday, and brought in that evening for a workout. It was a good session where he “threw the ball well,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Just how well, that remains to be seen.
He had been coaching high school football at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, since retiring after the 2020 season. His team just wrapped up their season, the #2-ranked team in 4A Region 1, finishing 13-1 after being eliminated in the third round of the Alabama 4A Playoffs.
The latest seat on the Colts’ well-documented quarterback carousel under general manager Chris Ballard would ironically go to one of its founding members, as Rivers was the regime’s fourth starting quarterback at that point.
The Colts reuniting with Rivers has multiple familiarities, given his latest playing ties with the franchise and some of its remaining players (i.e., Quenton Nelson, Michael Pittman Jr., and DeForest Buckner, to name a few), as well as playing under then-QBs Coach and 2019-20 interim OC Shane Steichen during their time with the Chargers from 2014-2019.
A reunion with Rivers was entertained late in the 2021-22 season after Carson Wentz’s availability was up in the air, but he ultimately didn’t sign as Wentz played. This last-ditch effort could bring a funny realization: if Rivers plays serviceably, at 44 years old with no reps taken in the last half-decade, this could hint at the Colts moving on from Rivers prematurely.
He may rank 9th in completions (5,277), 7th in all-time passing yards (63,440), and 6th in passing touchdowns (421) in all-time league history, but the 8-time Pro Bowler’s chances of returning to form are unlikely. Of course, his statue-like presence in the pocket from his younger days could suggest that a healthy dose of quick-hitters in the passing game could alleviate any pressure on him, but the concern is that defenses typically find a way, and the Colts are scheduled to face off against the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans, two of the league’s best.
Regarding his Hall of Fame eligibility, Philip Rivers’ clock resets, and he would need to be out for five additional seasons if/when he’s signed to the active roster. A practice squad designation preserves said consideration, but it’s the elevation that resets the eligibility clock. Rivers is one of 26 semifinalists for the Class of 2026 Hall of Fame and would become just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to start a game at age 44 or older, joining the likes of Tom Brady, Vinny Testaverde, Warren Moon, and Steve DeBerg.
What’s the worst thing that could happen to a 44-year-old quarterback who hasn’t played in half a decade? Irreparable physical and/or mental damage, most likely. However, the potential mic’d up video(s) alone may be worth it. It may be the wildest last-ditch effort in NFL history, but at least it’ll be entertaining.
