It’s not exactly shocking now that just five months after signing a one-day contract to retire as a Charger, Philip Rivers is back in the NFL. Only this time, he’s expected to run the Indianapolis Colts‘ offense, after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and Riley Leonard went down with a knee issue. But Indy wasn’t the only team that tried to lure the 44-year-old quarterback out of retirement.

Rivers actually had a chance to return years earlier. Think back to the 2022 season, when the San Francisco 49ers quietly explored the idea of bringing him in for a late-season quarterback role under Kyle Shanahan. The timing made sense: the 49ers were playing the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, and chaos hit early.

In the first quarter, Brock Purdy injured his throwing elbow. Then backup Josh Johnson left with a concussion. Purdy re-entered, but he literally couldn’t throw, leaving Shanahan staring at a Super Bowl run with no functional quarterback. That fear of having zero healthy options is exactly what almost put Rivers on the emergency-call list, as Shanahan noted back then:

“Whole thing I’m just thinking is, ‘Man, I hope Brock’s not as bad as they’re saying, and what’s going to be our Plan B? Are we going to have to get Philip Rivers, someone like that, for the Super Bowl? Because that’s what I’m thinking. ‘Cause I didn’t think Jimmy was going to be ready, and all I’m thinking is, ‘Man, I hope Brock is not bad as bad as they’re saying, and someone like Philip Rivers is working out and ready to go here in two weeks, because that’s still our plan.”

Looking back at it years later, it’s safe to say that if the 49ers had defeated the Eagles in the NFC Championship round, Philip Rivers would have played against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, following two weeks of practice. But fate had other plans for the veteran signal-caller, as the 49ers fell short 31-7 in the conference title game.

Meanwhile, Rivers later denied personally reaching out to the 49ers. That’s fair enough. But he also acknowledged that “some teams, with some guys going down, may have been just looking for a contingency plan,” which lined up almost perfectly with what the Niners were facing at the time. Fast forward to now, and that hypothetical scenario has finally become real. Rivers is officially back in the NFL, this time as the Colts’ QB.

Will Philip Rivers start for the Colts this season?

Philip Rivers just celebrated his 44th birthday this week. And just one day after, he worked out with the Colts. Deepening into the plot, ESPN reported that after a successful workout, Shane Steichen’s team has signed the veteran to the team’s practice squad. Which naturally makes you wonder: Will Rivers run the Colts’ offense against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend? Coach Steichen has cracked open the door for this very possibility.

“That’s the hope. We’ll see how it goes,” he said when asked if Leonard would play Sunday, per ESPN.

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At this point, Rivers starting for the Colts feels almost inevitable. And the reason couldn’t be more straightforward: the entire quarterback room is banged up. Anthony Richardson Sr. opened the year as Daniel Jones’ backup. But he’s been on IR since October after suffering a serious facial fracture caused by an equipment failure involving stretching bands.

Jones, meanwhile, was in the middle of what looked like a breakout, contract-changing season before an Achilles injury in Week 14 shut everything down. Surgery ends his year. And when veteran third-stringer Riley Leonard stepped in against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he lasted only briefly before suffering a knee injury of his own.

So, here are the Colts: three quarterbacks down, zero healthy options, and a season still very much alive. Bringing in Philip Rivers wasn’t just convenient; it was their only tangible move. As for whether he’ll start this weekend? All signs point to yes. At this stage, we’re just waiting for the official word.