Against all odds, Philip Rivers is returning to the NFL.
The 44-year-old quarterback, retired since the end of the 2020 season, agreed to a deal with the Indianapolis Colts after working out for the team on Monday night, providing an experienced but experimental potential replacement for an injured Daniel Jones.
Rivers spent his first 16 seasons with the Chargers, first in San Diego and later in Los Angeles, before joining the Colts for one final season in 2020. While plenty has changed in Indianapolis since Rivers' final game, he now has a chance to rewrite his ending.
Here's what you need to know about the Colts' decision to pursue and sign Rivers.
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Why did Colts sign Philip Rivers?
Everyone agreed the Colts needed a quarterback with Jones out for the season, Anthony Richardson out indefinitely and Riley Leonard now dealing with an injury of his own. Just about no one saw the decision to bring Rivers out of retirement coming.
The connection is obvious: Colts head coach Shane Steichen was on the Chargers' staff for Rivers' final six seasons with the organization, serving as quarterbacks coach for four of them and taking over as interim offensive coordinator in 2019. That means Rivers has familiarity with the kind of offense Steichen is running, although Steichen will have to account for Rivers' complete lack of mobility compared to Jones and Richardson.
Rivers also knows the organization well after spending a season with the Colts in 2020. GM Chris Ballard still leads the front office, while the Irsay family remains in charge of the franchise after the death of owner Jim Irsay.
The Colts "believe Rivers' familiarity could give them a realistic chance to stay competitive," ESPN reports. It isn't clear whether Rivers would start on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Signing a quarterback who hasn't played in five years may be characterized as a desperate move, but the Colts have no choice but to be a desperate franchise with three quarterbacks injured and their playoff hopes in severe trouble.
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When did Philip Rivers last play in the NFL?
Rivers last played in the NFL with the Colts in 2020, leading Indianapolis to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the AFC. He announced his retirement on Jan. 20, 2021.
How old is Philip Rivers?
Rivers turned 44 on Monday, making him the oldest active NFL player by nearly a full two years over Aaron Rodgers.
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Colts QB depth chart
| Rank | QB |
| 1 | Riley Leonard |
| 2 | Brett Rypien |
| 3 | Philip Rivers |
| Inj. | Daniel Jones |
| Inj. | Anthony Richardson |
With Richardson out indefinitely as he recovers from an orbital bone fracture, Riley Leonard stepped after Jones went down with an Achilles tear against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Leonard, however, is dealing with a sprained ligament in his knee and could be in danger of missing Sunday's game against Seattle.
If Leonard can't go, or simply isn't the Colts' choice to start, the remaining options are journeyman Brett Rypien and Rivers. Rivers is joining the practice squad, so he sits third on the depth chart until elevated, but the decision to sign the veteran is an indication of how Indianapolis feels about Rypien, who has made only four NFL starts with four touchdowns to nine interceptions.
While Rivers will start out behind Leonard and Rypien on the depth chart, his path to starting likely depends more on how he responds to the physicality of practice than what Leonard and Rypien can do in front of him.
MORE: Inside Philip Rivers' family tree
Philip Rivers career timeline
- 2004-19: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
- 2020: Indianapolis Colts
Rivers spent the majority of his career with the Chargers, getting sent to San Diego in the draft night Eli Manning swap with the Giants in 2004 and taking over for Drew Brees in 2006. While he never reached a Super Bowl, Rivers was an eight-time Pro-Bowler with the Chargers and went 123-101 as a starter.
The Chargers and Rivers decided to amicably part ways after the 2019 season, which worked out for both sides. L.A. Drafted its quarterback of the future in Justin Herbert, and Rivers reached the playoffs with an 11-5 season in Indianapolis, allowing him to ride off into the sunset on a high note
Until now, that is. Rivers will give it one more shot five years after playing what he thought was his final game, earning the chance to try to navigate through a difficult schedule and take the Colts to the playoffs a second time.