Why Colts signed Philip Rivers and what it means for Indianapolis' playoff hopes

Mike Moraitis

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Why Colts signed Philip Rivers and what it means for Indianapolis' playoff hopes image

The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly signing quarterback Philip Rivers, who will come out of retirement for the stretch run of the 2025 campaign.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Colts are signing Rivers to the practice squad first, but he will likely be promoted to the active roster soon.

The Colts brought Rivers in for a workout on Monday night and must've liked what they saw out of him.

It remains to be seen when he'll be ready to play, though.

Why Colts signed Philip Rivers

The signing of Rivers comes on the heels of the Colts losing quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury.

Backup quarterback Riley Leonard is also dealing with a knee injury that leaves his Week 15 status in doubt, and fellow backup Anthony Richardson remains on injured reserve and won't return this week.

The Colts are hoping that Rivers will be an upgrade over Leonard and Rypien as they look to get into the playoffs over the final four games.

What Rivers signing means for Colts playoff hopes

Indy sits in the No. 8 spot in the conference and in third place in the AFC South going into a Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Colts would like to believe that Rivers will be an upgrade over the signal-callers on their roster, which would of course help their playoff chances.

However, Rivers is also 44 years old and hasn't played a snap in the NFL since 2020, when he started in 16 games for the Colts.

There is simply no telling what Rivers has left in the tank at this stage in his life and that means there is no guarantee he'll provide the upgrade the Colts need.

Nevertheless, signing Rivers was definitely worth a stab as a once-promising Colts season is on the brink with four games left to play.

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