49ers at Colts Week 16 Preview: San Francisco Hits the Road to Face Philip Rivers’ Remarkable Return

This Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers (10–4) travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts (8–6) in what figures to be an intriguing showdown. The late-season matchup features a unique subplot: veteran quarterback Philip Rivers who is 44 years old. He returned last week in the Colts matchup in Seattle against the Seahawks, making his first full start in nearly five years following an unexpected return from retirement and doing so against one of the league’s most formidable defenses this season.

In Week 15, Rivers stepped into the starting role for the injury riddled Colts quarterback room and nearly engineered a stunning road victory against the Seattle Seahawks’ top-ranked defense. In that narrow 18–16 loss, Rivers completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, threw one touchdown, and tossed an interception late in the game (it was a throw away type interception as time expired). His touchdown, an 8-yard strike to Josh Downs, was the first of his NFL return and the 422nd of his career.  In a fitting twist, the score came from an NC State legend throwing to a UNC graduate.

More impressive than the raw numbers was the story. Rivers had been retired since 2021 and hadn’t taken an NFL snap in nearly 1,800 days before that game. Returning to face a disciplined Seattle defense that had limited opponents for weeks, the veteran displayed poise, smart decision-making, and a command of the field that belied both his age and time away from the league. After that week, spectators are even more convinced that “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.”

Colts head coach Shane Steichen reaffirmed that Rivers will continue as the starter heading into Week 16, valuing his leadership, experience, and ability to navigate adversity as Indianapolis battles for an AFC South postseason spot.

For San Francisco, this game comes after a short break and another quality win that kept them in control of the NFC playoff picture. The Niners offense has been firing on all cylinders.

Defensively, San Francisco has been stout of late, yielding limited points in consecutive outings and proving tough against both the run and pass, giving them confidence heading into what could be a tight battle with Indianapolis.

A win for the 49ers could move them even closer to securing a top playoff seed, while a Colts victory could reignite Indianapolis’ postseason hopes. Rivers’ storybook return adds compelling narrative weight to this cross-conference matchup, one that mixes playoff implications with a rare generational tale of perseverance, competition, and an amazing example of “not being scared” as the legend himself Rivers put it in his post game presser of the Seahawks matchup.