Philip Rivers shocked the NFL world when he came out of retirement and signed with the Indianapolis Colts ahead of Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. While the Colts were unable to come away with a victory in his first game in nearly five years, Rivers gave his team a chance to win.
After his first game back in the NFL, Rivers spoke on his return and who he hoped it will impact.
Philip Rivers Hopes His Return Will Inspire the Youth
In his five years between stints in the NFL, Rivers spent time with his family and coaching high school football. While Rivers wants to win and help the Colts make the playoffs, his return meant something more profound than football to him as well, as he hopes to inspire the kids in his life.
“Hopefully, my sons and those ball players that I’m in charge of at the school, they’ll say like, ‘Crap, coach wasn’t scared,'” Rivers said in his press conference after the Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The 44-year-old quarterback had last played in a game in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game on January 9, 2021. Sunday marked nearly a five-year gap between games played for Rivers, prompting many to question the move, both for Rivers’ health and the Colts’ best interests.
However, in his first game back, Rivers proved the doubters wrong, completing 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. While the Colts lost on a late Jason Myers field goal, Rivers kept Indianapolis in the game and even led a 26-yard drive in the final three minutes, resulting in a go-ahead field goal with 47 seconds remaining.
Rivers was not eased back into things in his first game back, going against a Seahawks defensive unit that ranks third in PFSN’s defense impact metrics (DEFi). While he didn’t light it up offensively, he was efficient, completing 66.7 % of his passes, and didn’t turn the ball over.
The veteran quarterback will look to keep things rolling and continue to serve as an inspirational figure for his children and students who play for him, as he and the Colts face off against the San Francisco 49ers at home in Week 16, as they look to claw their way back into the postseason in the AFC.
The father of ten has three games to help the Colts achieve that goal, in what will likely be his final season in the NFL before he returns to retirement, and turns his focus back to his family and coaching once again.
