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The Indianapolis Colts started their 2025-26 NFL season very strongly, but have been lost three of their last four games to some tough opponents. With Daniel Jones, the unlikely leading […]
The Indianapolis Colts started their 2025-26 NFL season very strongly, but have been lost three of their last four games to some tough opponents.
With Daniel Jones, the unlikely leading man at quarterback, going down with a torn Achilles, the 8-5 Colts were looking dead in the water amidst the success of the 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars and the surging 8-5 Houston Texans. Anthony Richardson had already been previously sidelined with an injury suffered during warm-ups, leaving 2025 sixth round pick Riley Leonard (Notre Dame/Duke) to take the field in last week’s loss to the Jaguars.
But not so fast: the Colts have called up an old friend: Philip Rivers, who spent one season in Indianapolis in 2020 following a 16-year career with the Los Angeles Chargers franchise.
Five seasons later, Rivers is dusting off his cleats and joining the Colts organization once again, coming out of retirement at the tender age of 44 years old and already reaching grandfather status. The move comes just a day after reports that Indianapolis was working out the eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback, on his 44th birthday. Rivers spent the last four years as the head coach of the St. Michael Catholic High School football team in Fairhope, Alabama.
Rivers was selected fourth overall out of NC State in the 2004 NFL Draft, and spent most of his career compared to his peers from that draft: New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. What was especially amazing was how long these three quarterbacks stayed with their respective franchises.
But of course, Rivers broke his allegiance to the Chargers in 2020, and is now making an NFL comeback with that same team Colts team. The Colts went 11-5 in their “COVID” 2020 campaign, falling short to the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round of the playoffs.
How much Rivers has left in the tank is anyone’s guess: some players have taken half a season or even a full season off and then came back and produced, but Rivers has been away from the game for five years.
However, if the Sauce Gardner trade at the deadline was any indication, the Colts are going all-in this season.
As mentioned, the Colts are 8-5 amidst a three-team AFC South race, and close the season with four tough matchups: @ 10-3 Seattle Seahawks, Vs. 9-4 San Francisco 49ers, Vs. 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars, and @ 8-5 Houston Texans in Week 18.
Rivers hasn’t taken an NFL snap since January 9, 2021. Whether he’ll become the starter in Indianapolis or how fast it would happen remains to be seen. By all accounts, Riley Leonard should be the Week 15 starter for the Colts, as Rivers needs at least a week to get up to speed, Sakmann Sports speculates.
UPDATE 12/13/2025: Philip Rivers has joined the active roster and will start for the Indianapolis Colts against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, making Riley Leonard the backup.
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