The Colts are in need of a quarterback and are looking to an old friend for help.
Just 24 hours after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tear, the Colts are set to have retired eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers practice Tuesday and potentially add to the team’s practice squad, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network Insiders reported Monday.
Rookie Riley Leonard is expected to start in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks, but is also dealing with a knee injury, head coach Shane Steichen said Monday.
Rivers played from 2004 to 2020, spending 16 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers before playing his final season with the Colts in 2020.
Rivers, who turned 44 on Monday, has a long history with Steichen, who served as Rivers’ quarterback with the Chargers from 2016 to 2019 and interim offensive coordinator in 2019, Rivers’ final season with the Bolts.
If any free agent quarterback would know Steichen’s offense and be able to make an impact, it’s Rivers.
However, the question of whether he can play remains unanswered. Rivers was very sharp in his final season in 2020, completing 68% of his passes for 4,169 yards, posting a 24-11 TD-INT ratio and leading the Colts to an 11-5 record and a postseason appearance, which ended with a narrow loss to the Buffalo Bills.
That was five seasons ago though. Rivers has since spent time with his family and coaching high school football at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama. Perhaps luckily for the Colts, the St. Michael’s season with a loss in the state semifinals on Nov. 28, clearing Rivers’ schedule to consider returning to the NFL field.
When it comes to veteran quarterbacks making surprising returns after retirement, Rivers would represent a truly shocking development. The NFL world hasn’t heard from him since he decided to call it a career after the 2020 season, but his skills — quick decision-making, accurate passing and an expert understanding of coverages and how to dissect them — wouldn’t require him to find a fountain of youth to play. It’s just a matter of whether his body can handle it.
Indianapolis is clearly in dire straits after Jones’ season-ending injury and turned to Notre Dame product Leonard for the short term. Kicking the tires on Rivers will undoubtedly drive headlines. But like Joe Flacco did for Cincinnati this season, Rivers could give Steichen a solid option over Leonard, especially as the Colts cling to what was once a season of endless potential.