Things are moving fast inside the Indianapolis Colts’ building after injuries troubled their quarterback plans. With a shaken depth chart, they turned to their old teammate and former NFL legend, Philip Rivers, for the much-needed firefighting. But as they brought him out of retirement, the team made another surprising roster shake-up for their QB2 position. So who stepped into that role, and why now?

“The Colts signed QB Brett Rypien and K Blake Grupe from the practice squad to the active roster,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on X.

After Philip Rivers officially returned to the Colts’ practice squad, many believed the team had sorted out its quarterback crisis. Then came Pelissero’s update on the team’s latest development about Rypien on Wednesday. He joined the practice squad on October 15, just a week after getting released from the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, Rypien is officially elevated to the 53-man roster, joining the rookie quarterback Riley Leonard.

He’s recovering from a grade 1 PCL sprain in his right knee. On Monday, head coach Shane Steichen hinted Rypien may need to start Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks if Leonard remains unfit to step on the field. Leonard hurt his knees in the last game, where he filled in for star player Daniel Jones, who tore his Achilles tendon. And the chances are solid that he may not return for the rest of the season.

And just like that, the Colts ran short on their quarterback options in such a short time. Now let’s shift our focus back to Rypien, who hasn’t exactly killed it in the league so far. The 29-year-old appeared in one game for the Bengals earlier this year. He previously made four starts while playing for the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos. His most active season was in 2022, when he played four games for the Broncos.

He recorded 483 yards with a 60.2% pass completion rate and scored two touchdowns. So, while Rypien hasn’t exploded, he does bring some experience. Now, back to our main question: Why has Steichen signed Rypien despite Rivers coming out of retirement?

Philip Rivers returns, but timing raises big questions

Philip Rivers made headlines on Tuesday by ending his five-year retirement and returning to football at age 44. After Rivers officially made it to the Colts’ practice squad, many expected that he would move to the active roster and start against the Seahawks if Leonard couldn’t go. But with Rypien taking the QB2 spot for now, Rivers’ chances of playing this weekend totally faded. The reason?

It is possible that the franchise may want to focus on stability, and Rypien might be their short-term answer while Rivers settles in. After all, he had been away from the field for years now. On a bright note, sources said that Rivers’ workout was impressive with powerful throws. The team needs to work on the QB’s conditioning before he steps on the field.

Moreover, his previous stint with the Colts was powerful when he led them to an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance in 2020. Over his 16 seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and one with the Colts, Rivers has played at an elite level. He still holds nearly every major passing record for the Chargers. All eyes are now on when Steichen decides the moment is right to use him.