The Indianapolis Colts refuse to go down without a fight. In one of the most shocking moves in recent NFL history -- or major sports history, for what it’s worth -- they’ve brought Philip Rivers back five years after he retired from the league.
Losing Daniel Jones for the season with a torn Achilles threatened to kill all hope for a Colts team that was 8-2 at some point in the campaign. Now, even for a couple of days, they might be back in the fold.
Rivers is 44 years old, is already a grandfather, and was a finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. Now, his Hall of Fame clock will reset, and he’ll have another chance to walk away on his own terms.
Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time that has happened. As reported by NFL insider Albert Breer, Rivers isn’t the first signal caller who has come back after five years away from the game.
Philip Rivers’ rare move isn’t unprecedented
“Obviously what Philip Rivers is doing is rare. But it's not unprecedented—in 1998, 44-year-old Steve DeBerg came out of retirement after five years away and signed a one-year deal with the Falcons. He even started a game (a 28-3 loss to the Jets) for Super Bowl-bound Atlanta,” Breer wrote on X.
The Colts still have a chance to come out of the AFC South, and they will certainly hope that Rivers’ presence can help them repeat history and get to the last game of the season.
However, it’s worth noting that those Falcons lost to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.
Albert Breer has serious doubts about Philip Rivers’ comeback
Rivers has never been the most mobile quarterback in the game. And while the Colts have one of the best offensive lines, it’s been way too long since a pass rusher knocked him on the ground.
Per Breer, that will probably be the biggest challenge for the 44-year-old future Hall of Famer:
"I think the big question is, how is he going to take a hit? I don't think anybody can project what would happen if you're out there on Sunday and Byron Murphy comes through the line and buries him. Is he going to be able to get up from that?" Breer said on The Dan Patrick Show.
Rivers went 11-5 and completed 68% of his passes for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eleven interceptions in his final season in the league. Whether he’ll be able to give Shane Steichen’s team anything close to that remains to be seen:
"You don't understand when you're away from it how quickly the timing goes away, and how hard it is to replicate that," Breer continued. "All the things that go into keeping your eyes downfield when you're in the pocket."
The Colts will close out the season with some tough matchups against the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans, and things could get pretty ugly for Rivers if the offensive line doesn’t hold its ground.