The Indianapolis Colts aren’t going down without a fight. Shane Steichen’s team refuses to waive the white flag after Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury, and they’re proving that they’re willing to think outside of the box to get the job done.
Philip Rivers has come back from retirement after five years away from the game. He can become the oldest quarterback in NFL history if he suits up at 44 years old. And, while he wouldn’t be the first signal caller to pull off a similar feat, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about him.
However, he might have a jump start in terms of getting to know the playbook. According to former NFL star J.J. Watt, he’s actually pretty familiar with Steichen’s current offense with the Colts.
Philip Rivers already knows Shane Steichen’s Colts offense
“Fun Fact learned in production meetings: Philip Rivers ran the same offense as the Colts for his son Gunnar’s HS team this season. He and Shane Steichen spoke weekly about it, discussing plays and even film. So familiarity with the scheme should be no problem whatsoever,” Watt wrote on X.
Of course, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. As signaled by Stephen Holde of ESPN, Rivers and coach Steichen go a long way back, so this should be a somewhat smooth transition for Rivers:
“Still remembered fondly at Colts headquarters following his one season with Indianapolis in 2020, Rivers will be reunited with his close friend Steichen. The two previously spent six seasons together in the Chargers organization while Steichen was an assistant coach and Rivers was the team's longtime quarterback,” Holder wrote.
That being said, it’s one thing to be familiar with the offense and another to be able to execute it at a high level. Rivers has never been the most mobile quarterback out there, and he may need some time to get his legs back under him after so many years off the field. Also, a date with the Seattle Seahawks’ hard-hitting defense might not be the best way to get back.
Rivers completed 68% of his passes for over 4,100 yards and 24 touchdowns in his final season in the league. He led the league to the AFC Wild Card game in his last game in the league. Now, he’ll look to accomplish the most impressive feat of his Hall of Fame career.