Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen needs to decide between Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard to start at quarterback this Sunday against the Houston Texans.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts entered Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with their postseason hopes already dashed. However, that didn't become a reality until the day before, when the Houston Texans won their own matchup and kicked the Colts out of the dance.
Indy had been preparing all week with the optimism that they'd start winning again, adding more stakes along the way.
Three weeks ago, the Colts called upon one of their former starting quarterbacks, retired 44-year-old high school coach Philip Rivers, to help salvage their season in its final four games. However, after Rivers and the Colts have gone 0-3 with one game remaining against the Texans — and the postseason not a possibility — will the Colts end Rivers' service prematurely?
"I'll figure that out Tuesday," Colts head coach Shane Steichen answered after the team's 23-17 loss to the Jaguars.
In three games, Rivers has exceeded expectations and played adequate football, completing 63% of his passes, with four touchdowns and three interceptions. You could even say he has helped stabilize the offense and give the team a fighting chance against a group of playoff teams. However, the Colts have been overmatched, losing to the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
“If it is (Rivers' last game), I'm going to be on board and supportive of whatever the organization, Shane, and whoever – however that decision is going to come to be," Rivers told reporters after Sunday's game. "I'm sure I'll have some conversations. It won't just be a blindside Tuesday conversation from (Shane), and I'm going to be on board to do what's best for the guys. So, if this was the last one – shoot again, I told you guys I wouldn't have any regrets about coming back, and I don't. Other than us not winning, right – us not winning.
"It's been an absolute blast for three weeks. If I’d go back and say, ‘All right, now you know everything that is going to happen. What are you going to do?’ I’d do it all again. It's been absolutely awesome. I mean, if it's the last one, it’s the last one. I thought the last one was walking off the field in Buffalo, walking up that tunnel, and I was fine with that. And that one, that one had tears those few days after it and I was at peace with that being the last one. So certainly if it is, I got three bonus games that I never saw coming. Couldn't be more thankful that I got the opportunity.”
As for whether Rivers is done playing after this season, he is sure that he is.
“Oh yeah, yeah. I'll be right back on the sideline, which I'm sure many watching probably said that's probably where you belong,” Rivers joked.
While Anthony Richardson Sr. is also a possibility to start on Sunday in Houston, aside from Rivers or rookie sixth-round pick Riley Leonard, Richardson remains on Injured Reserve after fracturing the orbital bone around one eye in October. While he has been practicing, he has had reduced visibility due to the injury. It's much more likely to be Rivers or Leonard.
Before Rivers returned to the Colts this season, he trained young quarterbacks, including Leonard, in the offseason in their mutual hometown of Fairhope, Ala. Rivers has now had a front-row seat to Leonard's development over the last three weeks.
“Riley's a pro," Rivers said of his protege. "Riley is going to work at it hard, and obviously, I don't want to put a ceiling on anything that he can do, and certainly will always continue to pull for him. But I said before he ever got drafted, or even early on when he was at Notre Dame, when I got to be with him and some of his guys, I was like, ‘He's going to be a double-digit guy in the NFL.’
"To what extent that is, who knows, right? Is he a starter? He's one of those guys that is talented enough throwing it, and he's obviously athletic enough to run around, and he's going to work at it because he cares enough about it that he's going to be around somewhere for a long time.”
Steichen is scheduled to speak to reporters on Monday afternoon and again midweek, when he may announce a Week 18 starter.
The Colts visit the Texans at NRG Stadium this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET. on CBS.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.