Phillip Rivers was one of the best Quarterbacks in the NFL. He never did end up winning a Super Bowl through his career, but that does not determine his skill. He has a 65% passing completion percentage over his career, with 63,560 passing yards.
The Indianapolis Colts were a dangerous team in the AFC, until losing three games in a row. This Includes the most recent loss against the Jaguars where Danielle Jones tore his achilles.
The Colts have signed Phillip Rivers to the practice squad because of their lack of Quarterbacks. Even Anthony Richardson, their starting quarterback last year is currently on Injured Reserve, so now that they have acquired Rivers. He is currently 44 years old, so that would make him the oldest quarterback currently in the league. The closest ones being Joe Flacco (40), and Aaron Rodgers (42).
Rivers is currently a Hall of Fame Semifinalist for the class of 2026. If he were to actually start for the Colts, then he would not be eligible for the Hall of Fame until 2031. Rocky Snyder says, “ With age comes the cumulative effect of years of physical strain and previous injuries.” This explains how older quarterbacks have a higher chance of being injured. If they do get injured, Rocky Snyder says, “ As players age, their bodies take longer to heal.” So if Rivers does get hurt, it would take him a while to recover.
The Colts current back up quarterback is Riley Leonard. He was drafted this year and had to step in and finish the game against the Jaguars after Jones got hurt. His stats were a 62% completion percentage, and he threw for 145 yards and threw one interception. The Colts current record is 8-5, making them 3rd in the AFC South. The current leader of the division is the Jaguars sitting at a record of 9-4. So they are still in the race for the playoffs. They made some big trades before the deadline this 2025 season. They acquired Sauce Gardner for 2026, and 2027 first round picks.
Rivers first start was against the Seattle Seahawks.. The Seahawks have one of the strongest defenses in the league. They currently have the number one rated QB pressures, and ranked number one in least opponent yards per play. Rivers’ first game back wasn’t against an easy team. That being said he was still able to put up 120 passing yards with a 66.7% completion rate. Rivers threw 1 touchdown pass, and one interception. The interception was at the end of the game due to desperation. The Seahawks are currently 11-3, after their win against Rivers and the Colts. Rivers is expected to finish out the season, and try everything he can to keep his teams playoff chances alive. This means that he will start 3 more games for the season. According to the New York Post, “When prorated over the four games he’ll be a part of the roster, Rivers’ total pay will be 278,889.” In the end Rivers return to the game is more than him collecting his insurance benefits. He is a veteran using years of his experience giving the Indianapolis Colts their best shot at making playoffs this year.
