The Indianapolis Colts reached out to a retired signal caller in hopes of finding a solution to the active quarterback conundrum and will fly in 44-year-old retired quarterback Philip Rivers for a workout
at the team facility on Tuesday.
Rivers was celebrating his 44th birthday when he received the offer to fly into Indianapolis. The eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback, has not played in the NFL since the 2020 pandemic season, when he finished his career with one last playoff run with the Colts. Indianapolis has not reached the playoffs since Rivers’ last NFL game.
Rivers has previous ties to Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who moved up the ranks in the Los Angeles Chargers organization from defensive assistant, to quality control coach, to quarterbacks coach, to offensive coordinator. During the four seasons Steichen was the quarterbacks coach, Rivers ranked second in the league in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes. Steichen took over play-calling duties as interim offensive coordinator for the Chargers in the final seven games of the 2019 season and was promoted to full-time offensive coordinator in 2020.
It’s absolutely bonkers to think how just three weeks ago, the Indianapolis Colts left Berlin with the best record in the NFL after a massive overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons. After the Houston Texans beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football to seized the final wild card spot over Indianapolis, the Colts now have just four games left to insert themselves back into the playoffs and will have to do so without their starting quarterback.
Colts QB Daniel Jones will miss the rest of the season after he suffered a ruptured Achilles, Coach Shane Steichen confirmed in an announcement on Monday. The 28-year-old veteran who was in the midst of a dream return, but fell to the turf with a season-ending, non-contact injury at the end of the first quarter in Jacksonville.
Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal to take the reins in Indianapolis, but a nine month absence could and probably will derail those long-term plans that were seemingly resurrected after a sensational 7-1 start with the Colts in 2025.
Third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson is still on injured reserve, while recovering from a broken orbital bone he suffered during a bizarre pre-game incident in Week 6. Richardson will not be activated this week. It would be a Christmas miracle if he could return for the final three games, starting with a Monday Night Football showdown against the San Francisco 49ers inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Richardson has played just 14 snaps this season and has completed only one pass, to himself…
Rookie Riley Leonard took over after Jones exited in the first quarter and finished 18-of-29 passing for 145 passing yards with one rushing touchdown and one interception in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jaguars. To make matters worse, Leonard walked into Monday’s practice dealing with soreness in his right knee. The Colts can not plan to start a rookie who had no experience with the starting unit before this past Sunday and will also miss practice this week while recovering from his knee injury.
Rivers is a father of 10 kids and the grandfather of his one-year old grandson born to his oldest daughter. The Colts are desperate to make a final push at the playoffs and reached out to an old friend to help steer the ship.
