The Indianapolis Colts found themselves in a bind with quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard, and Anthony Richardson Sr. all dealing with injuries last week. What would the Colts do to address it? Before their Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks, the AFC South team announced that it is making a move to shore up that position by signing Philip Rivers.
More on Philip Rivers’ NFL Return
Reports indicated that the Colts were signing the eight-time Pro Bowler to their practice squad, and he was later elevated to the 53-man roster.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport posted about the deal on X. “He’s back: The #Colts are signing QB Philip Rivers to their practice squad, per The Insiders,” Rapoport wrote. “The Hall of Fame semifinalist, age 44, rejoins the Indy QB room to support Riley Leonard and serve as a potential option down the road. A dramatic return.”
Besides Rapoport, former Colts punter Pat McAfee, on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, shared with his viewers that he had also received information about Rivers’ return.
The biggest reason why the Colts signed him is that all three of their quarterbacks were hurt. Jones has suffered a season-ending injury, Richardson is still on the injured reserve, and Leonard was also not entirely healthy.
Rivers spent a big chunk of his NFL career with the Chargers’ organization before playing for the Colts. Rivers was with the Chargers when they were in San Diego as well as when the team moved to Los Angeles.
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ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter had an interesting look at all the Colts’ starting quarterbacks who have played for the team since Rivers retired. The names include Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew, Richardson, Joe Flacco, and Jones.
In a 17-year NFL career, Rivers has thrown for 63,440 yards, 41 touchdown passes, and 209 interceptions. He played for the Colts for only one season, in 2020, before retiring from the game.
Rivers’ return to the NFL came at a high cost, though. Since he played in Week 15, the veteran quarterback is no longer eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026. He will now have to wait for at least five more years to get nominated again.
Rivers played well in the Colts’ Week 15 loss to the 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 of making 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.
