The Indianapolis Colts announced they would work out former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers on Tuesday, just days after Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles tear and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Some think bringing a 44-year-old who hasn’t played football in 4.5 years out of retirement is a bad move. And while I’m inclined to agree it could blow up in their face, Rivers seems to be pumped up about the opportunity to put his shoulder pads back on.

“Ye of little faith. I could quote scripture right now if I need to, to get you fired up to believe in me.” Rivers said on Lance Zierlein’s radio show, when asked about whether or not he’s worried about playing again. “I don’t know if you understand this: faith, family, football. Big Philly Rivers is always ready to rip.”

It was announced on Tuesday afternoon that Rivers has officially signed with the Colts’ practice squad. He’s on the PS for now, but he will likely be elevated sooner rather than later. Riley Leonard has a knee injury and is week-to-week, so there’s a chance we see Rivers on the field as soon as this weekend.

But why did the Colts decide to go after Rivers and not any other free agent quarterback? Well, I believe there are a couple reasons.

Why the Colts brought Philip Rivers back

The first is that, for a team that still has playoff aspirations, the Colts don’t want to get some young, inexperienced player. They want a seasoned veteran who knows the game inside and out, and has experience playing in the postseason. Now, I know Rivers isn’t known for being an elite playoff performer, but he has more experience in the postseason than anyone else on the market.

The second reason is that he’s familiar with Shane Steichen and the Colts’ organization. Steichen was Rivers’ offensive coordinator in 2019 when they were both with the Los Angeles Chargers. Rivers threw for over 4,600 yards that season before signing with the Colts in 2020. He’d spend one year in Indy during the COVID season, throwing for 4,100+ yards and 24 touchdowns before retiring. So not only is he familiar with the Colts organization, but he also knows how Steichen likes to work.

The Colts believe Rivers gives them the best chance to not only make the postseason but also potentially make a run at the Super Bowl. He’s not going to beat you with his legs or throw the ball over your head, but he believes he can be efficient and kill a defense with a thousand cuts.

Rivers has a clear game plan for his first game back

During his radio interview with Lance Zierlein on Tuesday morning, Rivers admitted he doesn’t have the strongest arm in the world, but his game plan is simple: he’s going to go be accurate, dink and dunk defenses and chew time off the clock.

“Let me tell you something,” said Rivers. “They said, ‘Big Philly, you couldn’t even throw it hard when you were in your prime.’ I’m still in my prime, number one. And number two, the first time I step on the field, let me tell you what’s going to happen. You’re going to get the kick, defense is going to stop you..and then you’re going to punt it, and you’re going to back us up to the five. Bad mistake.

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“The last thing you should’ve done is back Big Philly up to the five,” Rivers continued. “You’re going to get a 95-yard, 24-play drive where I’m 21-for-22 with four yards per throw. It’s going to have nine first downs in it, and it’s going to take up 19 minutes of the game…I’m just going to dink and dunk you all the way downfield, completing everything, and we’re going to own the clock.”

Rivers is back, and his plan is clear. He’s going to take what the defense gives him and feed off of his run game. The Colts already had a great offense, but now they’re also going to be annoying to deal with. We’ll see if Rivers can step in after 4.5 years and lead them to the postseason, but nobody can deny that it’ll be entertaining to watch.