INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Philip Rivers is hoping for another chance to win that elusive Super Bowl ring.
The 44-year-old grandfather and Hall of Fame semifinalist is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts.
advertise
Just hours after team officials announced Rivers had been signed to the practice squad, the eight-time Pro Bowler told reporters he’s eager to take his first NFL snaps since 2020 and hopefully start Sunday’s crucial game in Seattle.
“Something about it that excites me is it’s like one of those deals where the door opens and you either walk into it and see if you can do it or you run away from it,” he said. “I know there’s risk involved and what may or may not happen, but the only way to find out is to try.”
While the energetic Rivers never backs down from a challenge, he has never faced one like this.
Rivers spent the past five years coaching the St. Michael Catholic High School football team in Fairhope, Alabama. However, his mind was never far from the NFL. He said he regularly attended games between the Los Angeles Chargers and Colts, the two teams he played for during his first 17 seasons, and did so again last weekend when Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon in a 36-19 loss to Jacksonville.
advertise
Rivers said he immediately wondered if the Colts would come calling.
He, like the Colts (8-5), didn’t realize at the time that rookie backup Riley Leonard also injured his right knee in the game, making it even more urgent to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive. Then the phone rang.
“He said, ‘Gee, I’m interested,'” said Colts coach Sean Steichen, who worked with Rivers when he was with the Chargers. “So he slept on it, and then we called him back Monday morning and he said, ‘I need to get up there and throw that building in.'” So here he is, and he hasn’t forgotten how to throw a football. “
Steichen said Rivers could start Sunday — depending on how things go this week.
advertise
Then again, Rivers has accomplished just about everything in his career except winning a championship.
In the first part of his career, he ranks among the league’s career leaders with over 63,000 passing yards, over 400 touchdown passes and 134 wins. He was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2013, and he’s been around long enough that the former North Carolina State star was a key figure in the 2004 trade that sent two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning to the New York Giants.
The bigger question is what do the Colts expect from this version of Rivers?
While he practices and works out at home, Rivers admits there’s a significant difference between what he’s doing and the effort required to successfully run a pro offense against one of the league’s top defenses. While Steichen said his playbook is very similar to what he and Rivers used during their tenure with the Chargers, they still have to overcome some new issues.
advertise
This time he also gained weight.
“I don’t know, just to be honest,” he said, drawing laughter, when asked about his weight. “When I left, that was no longer the case. But, I went on to say, I never ran away from anyone anyway.”
The Colts are desperate after losing Jones and possibly Leonard, who is expected to practice Wednesday.
With 2023 No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson still on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone, Indy finally elevated veteran Brett Rypien from the practice squad to the active roster Wednesday. Rypien has not started a game since 2023.
advertise
The good news for Indy: Rivers does have some familiarity with players like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. and Quinton Nelson from his last stint in Indy.
As Indianapolis ends the season against four potential playoff teams — Seattle (10-3), Jacksonville (9-4), San Francisco (9-4) and Houston (8-5) — they need a steady hand to try to end a four-year postseason drought.
So they give Rivers a chance to get back to the playoffs and maybe the Super Bowl.
“The competitor in you immediately gets excited, like, ‘Are you serious?'” Rivers said of that call. “I know the live route isn’t going to work on Sunday afternoon, I do know that. But I have no reservations about going out there and throwing and doing these things and feeling good. So we’re going to take it day by day, but I’m excited. I feel good.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl