For a 44-year-old quarterback, the toughest opponent isn’t always on the field. It can also be a narrative set around you. For Philip Rivers, it’s the narrative around his conditioning—a narrative he directly confronted by calling out a Hall of Fame defender on national television. The NFL legend has no regrets about his NFL comeback, and he’s not ignoring the critics questioning his conditioning.

With the Colts set to face the Jaguars in Week 17, the QB didn’t shy away from addressing Michael Strahan head-on. In fact, Rivers directly called out the FOX personality who he felt questioned whether he was in shape enough to come back.

“I was scared, nervous, unsure, and I knew the safe bet was to go back to the house,” Rivers said during his virtual FOX appearance ahead of the game. “But the only way to find out if you could do it was to come back out here a little bit out of shape or a lot out of shape, whatever you say, Strahan (Michael) and Howie (Long).”

That comment, however, opened up a gray area. While Rivers clearly felt Strahan questioned his fitness, there’s still no clear confirmation whether Strahan directly said Rivers was out of shape. What is clear is that Rivers’ return, nearly five years after walking away from the game, was always going to invite skepticism.

Some of that doubt came from football minds rather than hot takes. Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young initially sounded skeptical about the Colts signing a QB who hadn’t played in five years. That skepticism softened after Rivers’ early performances, with Young pointing out that certain quarterback traits don’t simply disappear.

Others, though, focused less on the mental side and more on Rivers’ physical appearance. Some questioned whether he could still lead an offense that had been one of the league’s best before Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury. Those concerns only intensified once Rivers was officially named the starter against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.

A practice video quickly went viral, with fans pointing out that Rivers looked heavier than what’s typically expected from a starting QB. However, Rivers had already cleared his stance on his weight in his earlier press conference.

“I’m not sure. How bout that? That’s an honest answer. … Not what it was when I walked off the field in Buffalo. But I ain’t ran away from anybody anyway.”

Unfortunately for Rivers, the early results haven’t helped quiet the noise. In his first start against Seattle, he finished 18-of-27 for 120 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in an 18–16 loss. He followed that up against the San Francisco 49ers, throwing for 277 yards with two touchdowns and one pick in another defeat.

The only missing piece from these stats is a win. Until that doesn’t happen, the conversation around Rivers’ conditioning won’t end. That also helps explain why Rivers grouped Strahan into the criticism. From his perspective, the skepticism felt personal, part of a broader narrative questioning whether he should even be back.

From Strahan’s side, though, he later made it clear that he wasn’t the one who raised these concerns, distancing himself from that angle entirely.

Michael Strahan denies Philip Rivers’ blame

Following Philip Rivers’ comments about the ongoing discussion around his age and conditioning, Michael Strahan didn’t try to steer the conversation away. Instead, he addressed it directly. The FOX analyst made it clear that he wasn’t the one questioning Rivers’ weight. According to Strahan, that concern came from his longtime FOX co-host, Howie Long.

“Well, Philip, I gotta say, just to clear it up. Howie was the one worried about the weight,” Strahan said. “He threw my name in there to take the heat off of him. But all I want to say is we appreciate you taking your time coming here.”

Even though the debate never really settled on who first raised the concern, the moment itself didn’t linger. Strahan, Long, and Rivers ultimately laughed it off as Rivers prepared for his third start of the season. Now, the focus shifts to the only thing that can truly quiet the conversation: Whether Rivers can finally deliver his first win since returning.

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