Philip Rivers, the American NFL’s ‘grandfather quarterback’, returned four years after retirement. [AP=연합뉴스]
A grandfather quarterback has appeared in the American professional football (NFL). The protagonist is 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who has 10 children and recently saw a grandchild.
The team that called for Rivers four years after leaving the field in early 2021 is the Indianapolis Colts. The starting quarterback will no longer be able to play this season due to an Achilles tendon injury. Both the candidate quarterback and the trainee were excluded from the team due to facial and knee injuries, so they turned to Rivers.
The Colts lost 19-36 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the 7th (local time), falling into a swamp of three consecutive losses. The next day, after a brief tryout, Rivers was placed on the Colts’ practice squad. It was a ‘brilliant transformation’ for Rivers, who coached a Catholic high school football team in Alabama. With this, Rivers became the oldest active NFL player, surpassing 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rivers is a veteran who has been in the NFL for 17 seasons. He is a legend who ranks 7th in passing yards (63,440 yards) and 6th in touchdown passes (421). This is a record that can be included in the Hall of Fame. He played for the LA Chargers for 16 seasons, and led the team to the playoffs with 11 wins and 5 losses wearing a Colts uniform in the 2020-21 season. Elimination in the first round of the playoffs was his final stage.
Rivers is now playing again with players who are as old as his children. In fact, Rivers’ eldest son’s birthday is about two months earlier than the player the Colts selected in this year’s draft.
The Colts, with a record of 8 wins and 5 losses, are competing fiercely with the leading Jaguars (9 wins, 4 losses) in the American Conference South Division. This is a performance that is good enough to aim for advancement into the playoffs. NFL commentator Phoebe Sekter said, “The club evaluated that Rivers could rekindle the team spirit,” and expected, “If he leads the Colts to a high stage of the playoffs, it will be a truly wonderful fairy tale.”
The quarterback is the ‘field commander’ who directs the offensive strategy. This is the position that requires the most use of one’s head. Although he is the target of tackles by opposing defenders, he can lead the game while being covered by his teammates. This is why the Colts have high expectations for Rivers’ performance as he approaches his mid-40s.
As athletes’ condition management improves, the performance of veterans in their 40s and older is increasing in various sports. Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo (40), marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge (41, Kenya), and golfer Tiger Woods (49) and Phil Mickelson (55, USA) are still active.
