A shocking story hit the NFL news cycle a few days ago, as 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers signed with the Indianapolis Colts to come out of his five-year retirement. Rivers last played during the 2020 NFL season in his lone year as a Colt and is currently a semifinalist for the upcoming Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Reports indicate Rivers is in line to start for the Colts on Sunday in their game against the 10–3 Seattle Seahawks, who enter the matchup with the No. 2-ranked defense in the league.
Photo Cred: Bleacher Report
While the Colts sit at a respectable 8–5 record, they are in danger of missing the playoffs. Indianapolis currently holds the eighth seed in the AFC and is third in its own division behind the Texans and Jaguars. The Colts have lost their last three games after starting the season 8–2 and holding the No. 1 seed in the AFC at that point.
Indianapolis is turning to the retired Rivers after losing starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. Jones’ backup, Anthony Richardson, has been sidelined for weeks and remains on injured reserve with an orbital fracture suffered during a pregame warmup accident. The Colts’ third-string quarterback, Riley Leonard, a rookie sixth-round pick, also sprained his knee after Jones exited Sunday’s game.
Rivers retired for good reason five years ago. At around 40 years old, he was clearly physically diminished, despite never having elite physical tools even in his prime. It’s easy to imagine the difficulty he will have escaping pass rushes and pushing the ball downfield after a five-year layoff at age 44—especially after appearing noticeably overweight at his press conference. When asked about his current weight, Rivers responded, “I’m not sure. How ’bout that?” before clarifying that it’s “not what it was when I walked off the field in Buffalo” for his final game in 2020.
Photo Cred: ESPN
The road does not get any easier for Rivers and the Colts down the stretch, as they still must face the Jaguars and Texans, who currently rank eighth and first in defensive efficiency, respectively. While Rivers already knows the offense from his years working with Colts head coach and offensive play-caller Shane Steichen during their time together with the Chargers in San Diego, that familiarity may not matter much against the caliber of defenses they will face.
Although the Colts boast a dominant run game led by MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor, the team previously relied on the threat of a downfield passing attack with Jones to keep defenses honest and lighten the box for Taylor. With an aging, limited, and out-of-shape Rivers under center, Steichen will likely lean heavily on screen passes and short, quick concepts. If the schedule were more favorable, that approach might be enough to push Indianapolis into the playoffs. However, the defenses remaining on their schedule are simply too strong.
Photo Cred: Bleacher Report
In his surprise NFL return for the Indianapolis Colts against the Seahawks on December 14, 2025, at age 44, Philip Rivers stats: 18/27 passing, 120 yards, 1TD, 1 INT, leading the Colts to a near-win but ultimately falling short. He threw a touchdown with Josh Downs. It is difficult to envision the Colts overcoming this quarterback limitation and earning a playoff spot in the AFC. A once promising season had come crashing down.
