With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread and the defense riddled with injuries, the Indianapolis Colts just got a surprising offer of help from a franchise icon. Recently, an unretired Philip Rivers delivered against the Seattle Seahawks by throwing for 120 yards and making 18 of 27 passes while throwing one touchdown. With this bold decision working out, another franchise legend has urged head coach Shane Steichen to bring him back onto the roster as Indy hopes to make it to the playoffs this season.

“Put me in, coach!!! I’m ready to play,” Robert Mathis recently tweeted.

Similar to Rivers, the 44-year-old Mathis certainly made his enthusiasm known to Shane Steichen for a possible return. Moreover, his tweet was met with loads of love from Colts fans.

Mathis retired from the league in 2016, after a stellar 13-year career wherein he became the franchise’s all-time sack leader. Over his 192 career games, Ra-Rob recorded 538 total tackles, 123 sacks, and his signature 47 strip sacks. Now, nine years after hanging up his boots, Robert Mathis has asked Shane Steichen for a chance to come back.

Though not much is known about how serious his intentions are, this request could emerge as a blessing in disguise for the Colts, who have struggled with defensive injuries throughout the season. Ahead of the Week 16 clash against the San Francisco 49ers, the Colts will be without right tackle Braden Smith (concussion, injured reserve) and could also miss tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow).

Further, cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf) hasn’t yet played in December, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (neck) will be out for the rest of the regular season. If Robert Mathis is fit enough to come back, he could emerge as a viable option for Shane Steichen, as the Colts are still a fair road away from making the playoffs.

Sitting third in the AFC South with an 8-6 record, the Colts have around a 13% chance to make the postseason, according to the NFL’s playoff simulator. Now, with three games remaining, Steichen remains positive about the team’s chances, especially with veteran Philip Rivers at the helm of the offense.

Shane Steichen on Colts’ playoff hopes ahead of 49ers clash

After a red-hot 8-2 start, the Indianapolis Colts fell back to their current record after suffering four straight losses. But now with Philip Rivers leading the offense, Shane Steichen remains confident about his team’s chances with three games left in the season.

“Very encouraged. I’m very encouraged,” Shane Steichen said in his post-game press conference after the Seattle defeat. “There’s no question about it. For him to go out there and do what he did after five years off, to have a chance to win it and get a game-winning field goal, close to it, obviously, with 40 seconds left, in a hostile environment, against a tough defense just shows his commitment to coming back and playing the way he did and fighting like crazy for his teammates, and I thought it was pretty awesome to see.”

Steichen’s praise directly ties to the Colts’ final drive, where the quarterback orchestrated a clutch push in the last 40 seconds to set up a 60-yard field goal. Highlighting the hostile environment and tight timing, he framed the performance as a near-game-winning effort that showcased poise, preparation, and resilience under pressure.

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Indianapolis will close out the season against the 10-4 San Francisco 49ers, before taking on two challenging divisional rivals in the 10-4 Jacksonville Jaguars and the 9-5 Houston Texans. Though the Colts are still alive in the NFL playoff race, it’s going to be difficult from here to the finish line in these last few weeks.