Philip Rivers last played in an NFL game on Jan. 9, 2021 for the Indianapolis Colts during a 27-24 wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills. His final throw was a Hail Mary.
That's what thequarterback-needy Colts reportedly signing Rivers to their practice squad Tuesdayfeels like.
He turned 44 Monday. It's been close to five years since he took his last snap in the league. Now a grandfather, Rivers has spent much of his retirement coaching high school football at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama.
That's where Colts rookie quarterbackRiley Leonardis from. After Daniel Jones' breakout yearprematurely ended with a torn Achilles tendonin the first quarter of a 36-19 loss to the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars this past weekend, Leonard stepped in, with 2023 No. 4 overall draft pick Anthony Richardson Sr. still on injured reserve because of anorbital fracture that he suffered during a pregame warmup accident in Week 6.
Leonard played admirably in Jones' absence, however, he reported an injury of his own Monday. The sixth-round pick, who led Notre Dame to a national championship appearance last season, is dealing with a knee issue that puts his status for Sunday's road game against the Seattle Seahawks in question.
In desperation mode, the 8-5 and playoff-hopeful Colts reached out to Rivers. The team worked him out Monday night,according to The Athletic, which reported his practice squad signing Tuesday.
The Colts' only other healthy quarterback on the roster right now is journeyman Brett Rypien, who has four career starts since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2019. Rivers, meanwhile, is an eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year who has 240 career starts and has already pushed Indianapolis to the playoffs once before.
Regardless if he starts Sunday against the Seahawks, his return to the NFL is remarkable. These numbers paint the picture of Rivers' head-turning comeback.
13 ... current NFL head coaches Rivers is older than
Yup, that's right. Rivers is older than more than a third of the head coaches in the league right now, including interims.
In fact, he's older than both head coaches in a game he could play in Sunday. Colts head coach Shane Steichen is 40, and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is 38.
Rivers is also older than:
Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints (37 years old)Mike Kafka, New York Giants (38)Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears (39)Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams (39)Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars (40)Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings (40)DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (41)Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals (42)Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals (42)Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins (42)Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns (43)
Also of note: Rivers is older than Colts offensive coordinator Bob Cooter (41). Rivers spent the first 16 seasons of his career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. They selected the North Carolina State product with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2004 draft. At the time, Colts center Tanor Bortolini was 1 year and 10 months old,according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
10 ... children fathered by Rivers, including one who is older than Riley Leonard
With Rivers at quarterback, he can field an entire 11-player Turkey Bowl offense with his own children. Hehas 10 of them: seven daughters and three sons. The eldest of the bunch, Halle, was born in July 2002, two months before Colts rookie quarterback Riley Leonard came into the world, and she now has a son.
AsRivers told Jon Gruden in May, there's a worldin which Rivers' youngest son— who was born in October 2023 — throws a touchdown pass to Rivers' grandson.
26 ... semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026, and Rivers is one of them — for now, at least
Rivers is one of 26 modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. It'sthe first time he's eligible for the Hall.
That said, if he's elevated to the Colts' active roster, his candidacy clock will reset, meaning he'll have to wait five more years to be enshrined.
But if he remains on the practice squad, his eligibility timeline won't be affected.
8 ... years Rivers spent with Shane Steichen earlier in his career
Rivers and his new head coach go way back. For half of the signal-caller's Chargers tenure, he overlapped with Shane Steichen, who climbed the coaching ladder with the organization. Steichen was a defensive assistant from 2011-12, an offensive quality control coach from 2014-15 and quarterbacks coach from 2016-19. He also was the team's interim offensive coordinator during the 2019 campaign, Rivers' final go-around with the Chargers before he spent one season with the Colts.
What's more, according to former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt, who now works as a color analyst for CBS, Rivers ran the same offense as the Colts this season while coaching St. Michael Catholic this season, with his oldest son Gunner under center. By the way, Gunner is the No. 7 quarterback in the 2027 recruiting class,per the Rivals industry ranking.
Fun Fact learned in production meetings:Philip Rivers ran the same offense as the Colts for his son Gunnar's HS team this season.He and Shane Steichen spoke weekly about it, discussing plays and even film.So familiarity with the scheme should be no problem whatsoever.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt)December 9, 2025
4 ... other NFL quarterbacks have started a game at 44 or older
Rivers would become the fifth in that category if he's moved to the active roster and gets the nod for a Colts team that's fighting for a playoff spot in a crowded AFC field,according to ESPN's Evan Kaplan.
He'd join rare air occupied by Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Vinny Testaverde (Carolina Panthers), Steve DeBerg (Atlanta Falcons) and Warren Moon (Kansas City Chiefs).
Rivers was asked at his Colts introductory press conference in 2020 how long he intended to play.
"I'm not going to get carried away. I don't think you'll see me in the Tom Brady range," Rivers said at the time,per The Athletic's Jim Ayello.
Brady was 45 when he said goodbye to the NFL for good. Minds can change — clearly.
As for what Rivers is walking into, the Colts have four games left in the regular season. They're gearing up for a gauntlet consisting of games against the 10-3 Seahawks, the 9-4 49ers, the 9-4 Jaguars and the 8-5 Texans.
When Philip Rivers arrived in Indy in 2020, the 39-year-old QB was asked at his opening press conference how long he planned to play."I'm not going to get carried away. I don't think you'll see me in the Tom Brady range."Rivers is 44. Tom Brady retired (for good) at 45.
— Jim Ayello (@jimayello)December 9, 2025
8 ... quarterbacks who have started for Colts since Rivers' last game with the team
There's been a revolving door at the position since Andrew Luck's shocking retirement ahead of the 2019 season. The Colts opted for short-term rentals like Rivers until they took a big swing drafting Richardson in 2023. That experiment hasn't panned out so far.
While it appeared as if they scored on the Jones acquisition from this past offseason, the injury bug had other plans.
Now Rivers could be back in the saddle. Just look at this list, dadgummit:
Starting quarterbacks the Colts have gone through since the last time Philip Rivers played for them:🏈Carson Wentz🏈Matt Ryan🏈Sam Ehlinger🏈Nick Foles🏈Gardner Minshew🏈Anthony Richardson🏈Joe Flacco🏈Daniel Joneshttps://t.co/BJatdz4aQY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)December 9, 2025
4 ... quarterbacks who threw for 300-plus yards in the playoffs during their final NFL game — a list that currently includes Rivers
Does Rivers still haveit? That would be something. He sure held his own during the 2020 season with the Colts. That year, he went out with a bang, throwing for 309 yards and two touchdowns, albeit in a three-point loss to a young Josh Allen and his burgeoning Bills.
Rivers,according to senior NFL researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming, is currently one of four players in league history to put on a 300-yard passing performance in the playoffs during their final NFL game.
The others are Tom Brady (2022 wild-card round), John Elway (Super Bowl XXXIII during 1998 season) and Joe Montana (1994 wild-card round), per Koplowitz-Fleming.
No wonder teams have reportedly been using Rivers as their break-glass-in-case-of-emergency quarterback for years now. The Athletic's Zak Keeferreported Mondaythat the Colts considered bringing Rivers out of retirement down the stretch of the 2021 season when then-starter Carson Wentz tested positive for COVID-19.
Then there's the story about49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan preparing to turn to Rivers if his team reached the Super Bowl without a reasonable option at quarterback at the end of the 2023 season. That year, San Francisco dealt with a collection of injuries at the position, including an elbow injury to Purdy that derailed the Niners' chances in the NFC championship game versus the Eagles.
6,772 ... number of fans reportedly in attendance for Rivers' most recent NFL game
Speaking of that wild-card loss to the Bills, the paid attendance was reported to be 6,722 at Highmark Stadium because of COVID-19 protocols back then.
How long ago was Philip Rivers' last NFL game?The Colts' 27-24 playoff loss at Buffalo had paid attendance of just 6,772 thanks to COVID protocols.Rivers' last TD pass was to Jack Doyle, who retired after the 2021 season.pic.twitter.com/bD4zAYjCMP
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero)December 9, 2025
Rivers' last touchdown pass was to tight end Jack Doyle, who retired after the 2021 season.
Yeah, it's been a while.
