The Indianapolis Colts made one of the most surprising moves of the 2025 NFL season, as the team signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers for the rest of the season. The news came in the aftermath of Daniel Jones’ season-ending Achilles injury, which left Indianapolis without a reliable option at quarterback.
Rivers, an NFL icon and one of the most prolific passers in league history, retired after the 2020 season and was viewed as a potential candidate to get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Rivers, who spent 16 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before finishing his career with the Indianapolis Colts, officially retired after the 2020 campaign. He was Hall of Fame–eligible for the first time this year and was recently named a semifinalist among modern-era candidates.
But that long-awaited journey to Canton has now hit a pause because he decided to come out of retirement and sign with the Colts. Since he played in Week 15 for them, it has reset his Hall of Fame timeline entirely.
That means Rivers would have to wait five more seasons before being considered again, pushing his earliest shot at enshrinement to nearly age 50.
It was undoubtedly one of the factors Rivers would have considered before signing with the Colts. Still, he prioritized a successful late-career comeback, especially one that keeps Indianapolis alive in the playoff race, which could strengthen his legacy and supplement an already impressive résumé.
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According to PFSN’s QB Impact Rating, Rivers was the 18th-ranked QB in the NFL, holding a 78.0 rating and a C+ grade during the 2020 season, when he led the Colts to an 11-5 record and a postseason berth. However, they ultimately lost in the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills.
Rivers threw for 4,169 yards, 24 TDs, and 11 INTs in that season, but did not play for over 1,795 days before his return.
Rivers played well in the Colts’ Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The veteran quarterback completed 18-of-27 throws for 120 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The fact that he was sacked just once shows that Rivers can still contribute to the team.
The Colts will now play the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 16. A loss would diminish their chances to make the playoffs massively, and Rivers will be required to build on his performance against the Seahawks to give his team a chance against the 49ers.
According to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, San Francisco has the 24th-ranked defense in the league, so it will be intriguing to see whether Rivers can exploit an injured unit.
