Philip Rivers Will Give the Colts His All — and Make Them Must-Watch

Philip Rivers was surprised by his former Chargers teammates at his home in Alabama when they visited to sign a one-year contract and officially retire in July 2025.

He had been waiting to see if an opportunity might present itself for an NFL return. The New Orleans Saints reached out to him and Drew Brees in 2021 about a potential comeback.

It didn’t happen.

The San Francisco 49ers also considered bringing Rivers in if they reached the Super Bowl in 2023 to face the Kansas City Chiefs, but they were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles. That opportunity vanished as well.

Rivers became the head coach of St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where he coached his son Gunner, the quarterback of the team.

Their historic 13-0 season ended with a 44-23 loss to Jackson in the Class 4A semifinals on November 29th.

“Certainly I wasn’t really hanging onto any hope [of] playing again,” Rivers said. “I kind of thought that ship had sailed. But something about it excited me. And it’s kind of one of those deals that a door opens and you can either walk through it and find out if you can do it, or run from it.”

A week later, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones limped into the tunnel at EverBank Stadium and was diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon, ending his season.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that he decided to call Fairhope to see whether the retired quarterback and high school coach might want to return for the final four games of the season.

Steichen told him to sleep on it after the initial conversation and said he’d call again the next day.

The next day, Rivers had the most Philip Rivers response.

“‘Heck yeah, I’m interested. Heck yeah,’” Steichen recalled. “‘Dadgummit, let’s freakin’ go.’”

An hour before the team Rivers retired from — the Chargers — faced the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles on Monday Night Football, reports surfaced about a potential reunion between Rivers and the Colts.

On Tuesday, it became official. Rivers was joining the practice squad and returning to the NFL as a 44-year-old.

“I told Gunnar last night, I gave him a play off the call sheet and he was like, ‘Dang, because we ran that play two weeks ago in the semifinal game,’” Rivers said. “You know what I mean? So that part's cool.

“It’s been a whirlwind of 48 hours, I’ll say. But each moment that goes by, I feel more and more confident.”

Rivers, a father of ten and now a grandfather, said his family was excited when he told them he was returning to the NFL.

"My boys were fired up, obviously," he said. "But I think they share the same sentiment -- a little nervous, like, 'Dad, you think you can do it?' You know, and then my older girls are real excited ... they're grown adults [now], married, and they remember, 16 years old, going to the ball game."

Rivers walked up to the podium Wednesday for his first press conference and said, “No Zoom? Let’s go!”

He was referring to how his final season with Indy unfolded during the pandemic, when all NFL teams operated virtually.

So why did the Colts bring Rivers back?

They sit at 8-5, holding the eighth seed, and believe they can chase the Texans (8-5), Bills (9-4), or Chargers (9-4) — the current wild card teams. They may even catch the AFC South–leading Jaguars (9-4).

© Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) talks with quarterbacks coach Cam Turner on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, during practice at the Colts training facility in Indianapolis.

“I'm not here to stinking save the year or be a hero by any means,” Rivers said. “We got to stinking run the crap out of the football and play defense and do all those things. So if that comes to be, and I'm the one that's out there, I'm not here to try to save the day. I'm going to know where I'm limited. And as we go, it will get better, if that's the route we end up going.”

But realistically, the veteran quarterback is being brought in to potentially save their season.

The Colts opened 8-2 with a late-season bye ahead to get healthy and finish strong. They also held a two-game lead in the AFC South.

They have since dropped three straight to the Chiefs, Texans, and Jaguars.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Rivers said. “The decision wasn’t easy. It’s human nature to have a little doubt. That’s normal. Who wouldn’t have doubt after five years?”

Rivers has been out of the NFL for nearly five years. He said he stays in shape, and stories have circulated about him throwing to the St. Michael receivers. Still, there’s no comparison to NFL speed and physicality.

“The easiest way to eliminate all the things that can go bad is to stay home,” Rivers said. “And the only way to find out, ‘Can you still do it?’ is to go try.

“There’s something about being back in this building that feels right. And I’m just thankful.”

So what does Rivers bring?

The mental side of the game. His football intelligence remains elite — the question is his body.

When asked about his current weight, he deflected, saying it wasn’t what it was when he lost to Buffalo in the 2021 wild card game.

No one expected it to be. He was retired. He was done.

“You never hope something like that or expect something like that to happen,” Rivers said. “But shoot, something like that happens, I got a long time to recover, so that’s for sure.”

Rivers crossed paths with current Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor during his final NFL season, but that feels like ages ago now.

The Colts are talented, with strong players on both sides of the ball. They just need a quarterback capable of stabilizing them. After the bye, Jones struggled and didn’t resemble his pre-bye form.

Rivers knows the system well. He worked with Steichen for five years in San Diego and Los Angeles when they were both with the Chargers.

Steichen said Wednesday the team will decide on the starting quarterback “later in the week,” giving Rivers a realistic chance to start.

Why bring him out of retirement just to let him sit behind Riley Leonard? No chance.

Speaking of Leonard, he trained with Rivers during the offseason ahead of the draft and worked out with Gunner. Even he didn’t see this coming.

“I’m only a rookie, but I’ve learned in this business, don’t have an opinion on it, just excited to be my best,” Leonard said.

© Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Philip Rivers (17) and Riley Leonard (15) talk Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, during practice at the Colts training facility in Indianapolis.

Leonard likely thought this was his moment to prove himself. Instead, the Colts turned to Rivers.

“I know there’s risk involved,” he said. “The only way to find out was going for it.”

If Rivers starts Sunday in Seattle, it will be fascinating to see how much Steichen puts on his plate. The Seahawks are solid, with Rivers’ former teammate Uchenna Nwosu as a pass-rushing threat.

It might be a heavy dose of Taylor. Even though the Colts have a lot of firepower with tight end Ty Warren, receiver Alec Pierce and Josh Downs. It might be too much too soon.

Once Rivers takes a snap Sunday, his Hall of Fame eligibility resets, pushing it back five years — actually a smart move. He retired around the same time as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger, who will all be inducted before him. Delaying it means he could appear on a quieter ballot, with only Aaron Rodgers close to his timeline.

Rivers returning mirrors former teammate Eric Weddle coming back two years after retirement to help the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2022.

Because Rivers has been out longer, his comeback sits somewhere between Weddle’s and George Foreman’s, who returned after a decade. Weddle won a ring. Foreman became heavyweight champion again.

Will Rivers?

Who knows. But starting Sunday after signing Tuesday would be must-watch. This is uncharted territory — a player returning after nearly five years away.

No matter what, Rivers will give the Colts everything he has, just like he did the first time — and for all those years with the Chargers.

“I felt almost like it was a gift and another opportunity to play and cut it loose with the guys in the game you love to play and the dream you got to live,” Rivers said. “You may get some bonus time. So I really kept it as simple as that in my mind. And here I stand.”