Philip Rivers, who just recently became a grandfather, could be making a return to the NFL. Yes, you read that right. The 44-year-old grandpa is working out with the Indianapolis Colts today, and he could join the team’s practice squad after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles on Sunday.

With Jones going down, Riley Leonard is the presumed starter, but he’s battling a strained knee ligament and is labeled as week-to-week. Anthony Richardson is also still out with an eye injury, the Colts don’t have a single healthy quarterback on their roster. With their playoff hopes still alive, the Colts are desperate. So desperate that they’re willing to bring a 44-year-old, who would be tied for the third-oldest quarterback to start a game in NFL history, back into the fold.

So why Philip Rivers? Does he have anything left in the tank? Have we ever seen another situation like this?

Why the Colts landed on Phillip Rivers

There are a ton of younger quarterback options left on the free agent market. Guys like Taylor Heinicke, Hendon Hooker, Sam Ehlinger (who is familiar with Indianapolis) and others are sitting at home waiting for a phone call. So why did the Colts decide to call the 44-year-old? Well, it’s really quite simple.

Rivers and Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen are familiar with each other. Back in 2019, Steichen was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, Rivers’ long-time team. They were only together for one season, but it was a very productive one. Rivers threw for 4,615 yards and 23 touchdowns that year. He may or may not have also thrown 20 interceptions, but let’s focus on the positives. 2019 was Rivers’ last year in LA before he signed with the, you guessed it, Indianapolis Colts in 2020.

So, Rivers is not only familiar with Steichen’s system, but with the organization itself. He doesn’t have a long history with either one, but some familiarity is better than no familiarity. Plus, if you’re going to make a playoff run, you want a seasoned veteran under center, not someone like Hooker or Ehlinger, who have never played in a playoff game.

An interesting option I’ve seen brought up a lot in the past 24 hours is Derek Carr. On paper, he seems like the best option available, but the New Orleans Saints still have his rights, and with the trade deadline past, they would have to wait until the offseason to sign Carr.

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Does Rivers still have anything left in the tank?

It’s hard to tell whether or not a guy who hasn’t played competitive football since 2020 still has anything left in the tank. He just turned 44 and would be just a year shy of Tom Brady’s playing age when he retired. However, he’s never stepped away from the game – he’s coaching high school football in Alabama – and his body hasn’t gone through the wear and tear of a 13-game NFL schedule.

We don’t know what Rivers will look like at the ripe age of 44, so all we can do is look back at how he played at age 40, when he was the Colts’ quarterback in 2020. Rivers was actually really good in that COVID year. Despite being one of the oldest quarterbacks in the league, he threw for 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns to 11 interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes. Not bad for an old fart.

I know 44 is old for an NFL player, but considering he’s been away from the game for 4.5 years and hasn’t been consistently taking hit after hit, I think Rivers will come back in pretty good shape. He’s always been one of the sharpest minds in the game, too, so if the Colts’ offensive line can protect him and give him time, he’s going to make the right decision. What worries me is his arm strength. That was already falling off towards the end of his career, and he’s going to need to zip balls into tight windows, especially in the playoffs (if they make it).

To be quite frank, we have no idea what Rivers will look like if and when he takes the field as the Colts’ quarterback. He’s not going to beat you with his legs or throw the ball 50 yards downfield, but if he can get some time in the pocket, I believe he can be surgical within 20 yards.

Have there been other similar situations?

There really haven’t been many situations of a veteran quarterback coming out of retirement midseason to help a team make a playoff push. We’ve seen a handful of quarterbacks come out of retirement to join an eventual playoff team, but never midseason.

Brett Favre retired for the second time in 2008, but quickly came back out of retirement to join the Vikings in 2009. He played two seasons in Minnesota, leading them to the NFC Championship in 2009 before missing the playoffs in 2010 and officially retiring for good. The Vikings were a playoff team in 2008, but they desperately needed a new quarterback, so they signed Favre.

As I’m sure many of you remember, Tom Brady did a similar thing in 2020. He was retired for just 40 days before coming out of retirement and joining Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were 7-9 before Brady joined, and he immediately led them to a Super Bowl in 2020. Brady and the Bucs made the playoffs in 2021 and 2022, but never got back to the big game before Brady called it quits.

One that’s similar to Rivers in terms of the length of time spent retired is Steve DeBerg. DeBerg spent 17 years in the NFL from 1978-1993, playing for five different teams before retiring. However, four years later, in 1998, the Flacons signed DeBerg, who spent the entirety of the 1998 season with the team. He appeared in seven games, throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t take a snap in the postseason, but the Falcons went 14-2 and made the Super Bowl before losing to the Broncos.

This really is an unprecedented situation. Bringing in a 44-year-old who hasn’t played competitive football in 4.5 years because quite literally your entire quarterback room is injured isn’t something you see every day. Especially for a team that has playoff aspirations and went all-in on this season by trading its next two first-round picks.

There’s no guarantee Rivers even starts for the Colts. They could go with Riley Leonard (if he’s healthy), but I don’t think you make this move to not start the veteran who has been there and done that.

This is a wild move, but the Colts believe it gives them the best chance to make the playoffs and potentially keep this great season alive. We’ll have to see how it pans out, but I think we all can admit we want to see Rivers take the field again, just to see what he’s got in him.

And interesting note before I sign off: If Rivers does come back and play for the Colts, his Hall of Fame clock will reset. He’s going to be HOF eligible in 2026, but if he plays this year, he won’t be until 2030.