In 2025, with five years of retirement and several more pounds under his belt, Philip Rivers nearly pulled off the impossible and won a NFL game at 44 years old. The Colts put together a smart gameplan tailored to their severely restricted passer, one that relied on strong defense (particularly in the red zone) and a heavy dose of the run game.
Only head coach Shane Steichen’s poor clock management got in the way of Indianapolis shocking the NFL and taking down the Seattle Seahawks, who escaped with a 18-16 win over the Colts. Indy has now lost four straight as their freefall down the AFC playoff ladder continues.
Rivers, to his credit, gave the Colts a fighting chance. Fresh off the couch and carrying few expectations, Rivers threw 18-of-27 for 120 yards, a passing touchdown and interception. He came just a couple throws away from doing the unthinkable and snatching a much-needed win for the Colts to keep their season alive.
It’s truly unfortunate that Indy couldn’t pull it off. Had it done so, we may be sitting here praising Rivers and claiming he can at least guide Indianapolis back into postseason position.
But the reality is that he didn’t. The Colts are now the final team out of the playoff picture, holding onto a slim 17% chance to clinch a berth. Rivers had his fun. What the Colts choose to do at quarterback going forward will say a lot about their intentions for the rest of the season.
Yes, the playoff chances are very small. But, at 8-6, Indy isn’t mathematically eliminated yet. And, injuries or not, this is the same franchise which once stood at 7-1 and atop of the conference. The initial idea in bringing in Rivers was to see if he can spark a run to sneak back into the picture.
But now, after a loss which revealed Rivers still has the same love for the game but lacks the physical abilities to keep playing at his age, continuing to try to win games with him starting would reveal an unserious attitude towards winning by the whole organization.
Riley Leonard may not provide you the same understanding of the offense or the same level of big-game experience that a savvy veteran like Rivers does. He may not even give you a better chance to win. But what Leonard does offer is unpredictability.
With Rivers leading the offense, defenses know exactly what to expect: a run with Jonathan Taylor or a pass at, behind or within five yards of the line of scrimmage. As a result, teams can pack the box and to swarm in the run and screen games, leaving their corners to hold up for just a few seconds while the front seven does the rest.
At least Leonard can throw the ball down the field. Any time Rivers attempted a pass beyond the line of scrimmage, the ball looked like a balloon floating through the air—slow and unthreatening. Leonard has the arm strength and mobility to keep defenses honest, adding layers of depth to an offensive gameplan which lacked just that with Rivers. Yes, Leonard is considered week-to-week with an ankle injury. But even then, the Colts have more to gain by starting the rookie over Rivers.
Even Anthony Richardson Sr., whose only game appearances this season have come in blowout wins during Indy’s incredible start, offers more. While he’s still on injured reserve with an orbital fracture suffered prior to Week 6, it’s being reported that the former first-round pick could be activated soon, giving the Colts two of the three passers they started the year with back.
Watching Rivers navigate the pocket and attempt to throw the ball around in Seattle was painful. His arm strength and mobility are completely shot, even worse than 2020 when he last played. Allowing him to continue not only is a disservice to Leonard and Richardson, both of whom could use the extra reps, but sends a horrible message to the fans.
Do the Colts really want to project that, after such a promising first half to the season, they truly believe their best bet is to put the fate of their season in the hands of a past-his-prime retiree over one of their young players?
The message a second start for Rivers would send to the fans—we’re punting. Punting on the season because we don’t trust either of our young quarterbacks, regardless of the fact they’ve played a lot more football a lot more recently than Rivers, to get us a win or two and save the season.
See how ridiculous that sounds? The Colts, should they continue to go with Rivers, would be committing football malpractice. Unless health gets in the way, there’s no reason why Leonard or Richardson shouldn’t get a shot.
Not that it matters necessarily, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier in the final three weeks for the Colts. Maybe that’s why they want to lean on Rivers’ experience.
But when the experiment blows up in their face against the 49ers, Jaguars or Texans, and fans are clamoring for an offense that’s not so predictable, we’ll look back and see that Rivers still has some left in the tank. Just not enough.
