Philip Rivers’ remarkable comeback to the NFL has made waves in the NFL community. The move has sparked considerable speculation about whether the veteran quarterback will return to the field. With quarterback-needy teams and fans alike wondering if Rivers would reconsider retirement, the spotlight had once again turned his way.
Philip Rivers Addresses Whether He Will Return to the NFL
Per PFSN’s QB Impact metrics, Rivers earned a 77.6 grade score in his Week 16 start against the San Francisco 49ers. Although the Colts lost that game 48-27, he threw for 277 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Speaking candidly with the Up & Adams show, Rivers said, “I am done. I have a son who will be a senior, and I have the St. Michael football team ready to go.
“We got beat in the semifinals two years in a row, so it’ll be his senior year. My second son will be a ninth grader. They’ll be on the same team together,” he also added. Rivers has now made it clear that his days as an NFL quarterback are behind him.
The Colts lost to the Jaguars 23-17 in Week 17, but despite that, Rivers’ play left him happy and emotional. His comeback was one of the most amazing stories of the 2025 NFL season. Rookie Riley Leonard will start for the Colts in Week 18 against the Houston Texans.
Per AL.com, Rivers said, “I told Leonard that I want to be there to help him prepare throughout the week and any way I can assist on game day. Obviously, our offensive staff’s a heck of a group, and you can almost get too much coaching, but, hopefully, I can be there for him to lean on as needed. I already got off to that start yesterday and today, but excited to see him out there.”
Colts Tenure: A Season to Remember
The Colts hit a wall after starting the season 8-2. Rivers did all he could to help hold the Colts together following Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury. Although he did struggle at times, Rivers had some vintage moments on the field.
Despite carving up the 49ers in Week 16 early and giving the Colts a chance to beat the Seattle Seahawks, he could not undo Indianapolis’ losing streak. The uniretirement wasn’t a complete failure, though. Rivers got secured health benefits for the next five years, and that’s huge for a man with 10 children.
Rivers struggled against the Jaguars and even admitted that himself. Per the Daily Mail, he said, “I thought this is probably the worst game I’ve had of the three… I just couldn’t get in really any sync or rhythm.” However, he would do it all again if he could. He added, “I told you guys I wasn’t going to have any regrets about coming back, and I don’t.”
Rivers will go back to coaching his son’s high school football team. Now that the unretirement stint has come to a close. Rivers has now put his days as an NFL quarterback behind him and will move on with his life.
