Philip Rivers’ 2025 return to the Colts is on a practice-squad contract that pays him a weekly rate in line with veteran minimums, not a big, fixed multi‑year deal.
Veterans on the practice squad in 2025 earn between roughly $17,500 and $22,000 per week under the NFL’s tiered practice‑squad pay system.
Phillip Rivers returns to the Indianapolis Colts, and the contract details of his return.
Rivers has agreed to join Indianapolis’ practice squad after coming out of a five-year retirement at age 44, giving the Colts experienced insurance following an injury to starter Daniel Jones. The agreement is classified as a practice-squad contract, which means week-to-week pay and easy elevation or release, rather than guaranteed multi‑year money.
Practice-squad salaries for players with more than two accrued seasons fall into a veteran scale that ranges from about $17,500 to $22,000 per week in the 2025 league year.
He’s back: The #Colts are signing QB Philip Rivers to their practice squad, per The Insiders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 9, 2025
The Hall of Fame semifinalist, age 44, rejoins the Indy QB room to support Riley Leonard and serve as a potential option down the road. A dramatic return. Pic.twitter.com/Ps3gpUNIsh
If Indianapolis elevates him to the 53-man roster, his pay would shift to a standard veteran active-roster rate, and his Hall of Fame eligibility clock would reset if he appears in a regular-season game.
In 2020, Rivers signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $25 million contract with Indianapolis, including a $12 million signing bonus and $13 million base salary.
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