These 4 sports legends played in NFL, MLB, NHL as grandfathers before Philip Rivers can with Colts

Billy Heyen

These 4 sports legends played in NFL, MLB, NHL as grandfathers before Philip Rivers can with Colts image

If Philip Rivers plays a snap for the Indianapolis Colts this season, he'll do so as a grandfather.

That would put him in incredibly rare sports history.

It's a tough thing to track, but ESPN's stats guru Paul Hembekides took a shot at it and shared his findings on X on Monday.

The four legends of sports whom Hembekides discovered played in their respective leagues as grandparents:

  • Stan Musial
  • Gordie Howe
  • Julio Franco
  • Brett Favre

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That'd form quite the quintet if you can add Rivers to that list.

There are obviously layers of factors that have to happen to have a professional athlete play while they have a grandchild already born, so even for other players who lasted a long time, it's certainly not a given.

Rivers, who famously has 10 kids, has a grandkid, too.

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Not many were expecting Rivers to come back. Shoot, he signed a one-day contract in July to retire as a member of the Chargers.

But he's back. Rivers isn't guaranteed to play. If Riley Leonard gets healthy, maybe he still starts on Sunday.

Rivers is ready, though, and he very well might get a start this week or soon. And if that happens, he'll be making quite the grand history.

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News Correspondent