Nearly five full years after retiring, Philip Rivers has a chance to return to the NFL.
The Indianapolis Colts are taking a hard look at Rivers after losing QB Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles tear and seeing backup Riley Leonard work through a knee injury, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo first reported. The Colts are already missing QB Anthony Richardson, who fractured his orbital bone in October.
With the trade deadline passed and options limited, the unthinkable could happen with Rivers weighing a return five years after announcing his retirement.
Here's a look at one detail that would make a Rivers return even more remarkable.
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Is Philip Rivers a grandfather?
Rivers is indeed a grandfather, as his oldest daughter has a child. Rivers' oldest daughter was born in 2002, making her older than a handful of Colts players.
Rivers would not be the first grandfather to play in the NFL. While it's virtually impossible to know how many grandfathers played in the NFL in the league's early decades, it is known that Brett Favre became a grandfather while playing his final season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2010.
How old is Philip Rivers?
Rivers turned 44 on Monday, the same day in which it was reported he would work out for the Colts. If Rivers saw some playing time with Indianapolis, he would be only the sixth quarterback in NFL history to appear in a game at 44 or older, joining a group that includes Tom Brady,
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How many kids does Phillip Rivers have?
Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, have 10 children together. They had their first in 2002, while in college, and their most recent in 2023 to reach double-digits.
Here are the names of each kid, with one more needed to put a full 11 on a football field:
- Halle
- Caroline
- Grace
- Gunner
- Sarah
- Peter
- Rebecca
- Clare
- Anna
- Andrew
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How old are Phillip Rivers kids?
Rivers' oldest child, Halle, is 23 years old and already has a child of his own. Not only would that put Rivers in the highly unusual position of playing in the NFL as a grandfather if he returned, but it means he has a child older than a handful of Colts players, including rookies Riley Leonard and JT Tuimoloau.
Leonard, who would share a quarterback room with Rivers, was born in September of 2002, months after Rivers' daughter Halle.
Rivers' youngest son is only two years old, as he was born in 2023. It's unclear whether Rivers has any plans on trying for an 11th kid to round out a full football team, but it appears he has bigger plans on his mind at the moment.