Philip Rivers ended his five-year retirement to sign with the Indianapolis Colts to their practice squad. How did this shocking move come together after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles, and can Rivers reasonably start Sunday?
The Indianapolis Colts stunned the league on Wednesday when they signed 44-year-old retired quarterback Philip Rivers to the practice squad. They now have the oldest player in the NFL on their roster and he’s in line to potentially start for the Colts this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. After Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in a devastating season-ending injury on Sunday, backup quarterback Riley Leonard came in on Monday morning with a sore right knee, and Indianapolis’ playoff hopes looked poised to vanish. In comes a retired quarterback who hasn’t played a snap of football since 2020.
Stephen Holder and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN extensively reported on the actions that were rolling behind the scenes that eventually led to one of the wildest stories of the season. After trading for cornerback Sauce Gardner in a massive deal with the New York Jets, the Colts could either double down on their aggression or give up on their potential playoff run. This is certainly an intriguing move to make, but apparently while Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen was on the Chargers staff in 2019, he grew close to Rivers. The two kept in contact weekly since then, and per sources to ESPN, Rivers was immediately receptive when Steichen reached out.
There was reportedly no formal conversation internally to make a play for Rivers, but other sources implied that the thought was at least casually floating around as an emergency, and potentially as early as when Anthony Richardson had an orbital fracture in October. They put feelers out for trade possibilities, but nothing came together. Richardson is still on injured reserve. No matter the preexisting relationship, it’s still surprising that Rivers even wanted to jump back in. Per ESPN, while Rivers has settled into life with 10 kids and a grandson, the Colts offer some comfort as the last team he played for before retiring from the league. He led them to their last playoff appearance after being released from the Chargers.
Rivers also has to restart his five-year eligibility for his Hall of Fame candidacy as a current semifinalist should he be signed to the active roster. That apparently wasn’t ever an issue for Rivers, another surprise. So, his heart still seems in it. And his familiarity with the system gives an edge. It’s certainly not the ordinary path to take, but who, feasibly, is available at this stage of the season that offers greater upside? His arm in a workout he flew in for Monday night reportedly impressed team officials, with seemingly no drop-off in his strength.
But can he realistically be close to in football shape, and be able to get there by Sunday? Can he evade a pass rush with mid-40s speed and no reps since 2020? Instead of a walkthrough that was scheduled for Wednesday, Rivers’ arrival changed plans to have a formal practice. Indianapolis needs every second it can get before Sunday to see if he can step in.