Getty Images
The Indianapolis Colts thought outside the box to bring in a new quarterback and sign Philip Rivers to the practice squad, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Why the Colts are signing Philip Rivers
The Colts are completely depleted at quarterback, with starter Daniel Jones suffering an Achilles injury on Sunday and rookie Riley Leonard suffering a knee injury replacing Jones. Anthony Richardson went on injured reserve in October, leaving practice squad quarterback Brett Rypien as the Colts’ only healthy option. Leonard’s status for Sunday’s road game against the 10-3 Seattle Seahawks is up in the air.
Rivers will be the oldest player in the NFL at 44 years old. Rivers last played in 2020, which was an 11-5 campaign and postseason appearance with the Colts, marking the last time the franchise made the playoffs.
Rivers spent his first sixteen seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers franchise. What makes the signing even more fascinating is that he is a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for the Class of 2026. Rivers ranks No. 7 all-time with 63,400 yards and No. 6 in passing touchdowns with 421.
According to ESPNRivers’ workout was “impressive” and he threw the ball well, but ESPN’s source also noted that Rivers “needs to improve his conditioning.”
Rivers is expected to practice Wednesday and Thursday before determining if he is ready to start. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Rivers will “support Riley Leonard and serve as a possible option in the future.”
Rivers is very familiar with the Colts’ offensive scheme. Rivers knows Colts head coach Shane Steichen well, having spent six years with the Chargers, where Steichen was an assistant. Rivers often discusses football with Steichen on a weekly basis. And Rivers, who is the head coach of his son Gunner’s high school team in Fairhope, Alabama, is running the same offensive scheme as the Colts, according to JJ Watt.
The Colts face an uphill battle to reach the playoffs
The Colts are 8-5 and currently the No. 8 seed in the AFC, which is one seed away from playoff contention. The No. 7 seed Houston Texans edged the Colts with a win on Sunday over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Colts have now lost three straight games and four of five.
According to NFL Next Gen Statsthe Colts currently only have a 32% chance of making the playoffs. The Colts’ remaining schedule is incredibly challenging with road games against the Seattle Seahawks (10-3) and Houston Texans (8-5) and home games against the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4).
It would be hard enough for Rivers to pull off back-to-back wins in his prime with the matchups the Colts loom, let alone a 44-year-old version who hasn’t seen NFL action since 2020. While Rivers shouldn’t be counted on, he shouldn’t be counted out either. Whether Rivers performs remarkably or ends up battered and bruised, this is an intriguing storyline during the latter part of the regular season.
#Philip #Rivers #signing #Colts #fascinating #NFL #storyline