Philip Rivers is coming out of retirement to help out with his former NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts. As the Colts announced on Wednesday, the franchise added the now 44-year-old, who has ten children and even a grandchild, to the practice squad. Indianapolis was reacting to the major personnel problems at the quarterback position after Daniel Jones’ season was over with a torn Achilles tendon and his replacement Riley Leonard was suffering from knee problems.
Rivers originally ended his career after the 2020/21 season. Before his departure, the veteran played for the Colts for one more year after 16 seasons with the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers. This year he could even be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Rivers is in the semifinals of the selection. However, if he were to be called up to the active squad, he would have to wait at least another five years.
“It’s a game that I really enjoy playing, a game that I thought I wouldn’t play anymore, that I was done with it. I certainly had no hope of ever playing it again,” Rivers said at a press conference, “But something about it excited me.” He knew “that there is of course a risk,” said the veteran: “But the only way to find out is to try.”
After a strong start to the season, Indianapolis had recently lost three times in a row. In the AFC South, the team is only third behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (9:4) and the Houston Texans (8:5) with 8:5 victories. Jones was injured last Sunday in the defeat in Jacksonville (19:36), and on Monday head coach Shane Steichen confirmed that his number one was out of the season. The 28-year-old, who played the last two games with a broken fibula, needs surgery.
On Sunday (10:25 p.m. CET) the Colts will be in the race for a play-off ticket against the strong Seattle Seahawks. It is still unclear whether Rivers will actually be in the squad or even on the field.
