A week ago, Philip Rivers was preparing for a potential Hall of Fame induction. But after multiple injuries to Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks, Rivers is making his shocking return to the NFL Sunday in a difficult matchup against a stout Seattle Seahawks offense.
Follow along here for updates on Rivers’ first NFL game since 2020:
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So why is Philip Rivers doing this?
Let Rivers explain. The Colts quarterback spoke with CBS about his comeback before kickoff and leading Indianapolis to a 13-6 halftime lead:
“I love the game,” Rivers said. “Got an opportunity. And it’s just how I remember it.
“I’m excited to be a teammate again. There’s some teammates in this locker room that were here in 2020 the last time we were in the postseason. For an opportunity to join arm in arm with them and go after it again, I’m not here to be a hero by any means. I’m here to be one of the guys.
“We know all that it’s gonna take. It’s tough to win here. But we’re gonna give it our best shot.”
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Halftime: Colts 13, Seahawks 6
This is going as well as the Colts could have hoped for. After a 3-of-9 start, Philip Rivers settled in to complete seven straight passes, including the only touchdown of the half by either team to Josh Downs. And the Colts’ defense has held steady against the Seahawks.
Seattle closed the half with a Jason Myers field goal. But the Colts are in control with a 13-6 lead while holding Seattle to 80 yards of total offense.
Jonathan Taylor, meanwhile has 58 yards on a whopping 16 first-half carries And Rivers has looked like a capable NFL starter at 44 years old against a stout Seattle defense.
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This, like the rest of the week in Indianapolis, is unexpected.
Rivers at halftime: 10 of 16 for 81 yards, 1 TD, 0 turnovers, 1 sack taken
Rivers completes 7 straight, including TD
Rivers delivered a nice pass over the middle in traffic to T.J. Warren for a 17-yard gain, Indianapolis’ longest play of the day.
His next completion was a 7-yard pass to Josh Downs for his first touchdown since 2020.
After completing three of his first nine passes, Rivers has now completed seven straight. And the Colts have a 13-3 lead late in the second quarter.
Can the Colts actually win this?
Rivers: 10 of 16 for 81 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 1 sack taken
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Colts defense came to play
Rivers has so far looked like a guy who hasn’t played football in five years. But the Colts defense just forced a third Seattle 3-and-out in four possessions to keep Indianapolis in this. Rivers and the Colts have the ball back with a 6-3 lead and 5:49 remaining in the first half.
Rivers falls down for sack, Colts kick FG
This is what might be expected from a 44-year-old who hasn’t played football since 2020. Rivers slipped and fell at midfield without being touched. He got up, but stumbled again and was touched down for a 2-yard sack.
Thanks to a possession that started near midfield, the Colts got into position for a 55-yard field goal to take a 6-3 lead with 8:26 remaining in the second quarter. Rivers is averaging 3.8 yards per attempt and has yet to complete a downfield pass for a first down.
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Rivers: 5 of 11 for 42 yards, 0 TDs or turnovers, 1 sack taken
Colts go 3 and out: Colts 3, Seahawks 3
Rivers hit Tyler Warren on third-and-4 on the sideline for what was initially ruled a completion and first down. But replay review correctly ruled that Warren didn’t secure control of the ball before going out of bounds, and the Colts have punted after a 3-and-out.
Rivers: 3 of 9 for 31 yards, no TDs or turnovers
Rivers lead Colts to 3-0 lead
Rivers managed to lead a scoring drive his second time out, though he wasn’t asked to do much. He hit a nice, sidearm pass to Ameer Abdullah and managed a third-down conversion to Michael Pittman, but it was mostly a running drive. After Rivers failed to pick up another third-down conversion, the Colts kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
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Rivers misses on first pass of comeback
The Colts clearly tried to ease Rivers into the contest, running on three consecutive plays to open the game.
Rivers attempted his first NFL pass in years on the Colts’ fourth offensive play. It was an incomplete pass down the sideline to Jonathan Taylor. But on his next play, Rivers picked up a completion, hitting Michael Pittman on a screen to pick up a first down.
After a short run on first down, Rivers tried to hit Tyler Warren on the next two plays. They were both incomplete, leading to an early Colts punt.
Can Rivers actually play at an NFL level?
Prior to the game, there was skepticism about how Rivers would fare in his first start in five seasons. While there have been older quarterbacks in the NFL, no quarterback this old has gone this long between two starts in the NFL, per Curt Menefee of “FOX NFL Sunday.”
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One of the quarterbacks who did start NFL games at an older age than Rivers just so happened to make an in-studio appearance on “FOX NFL Sunday.” That would be Tom Brady, who used a fun story to explain that the speed of the game could be the thing that surprises Rivers in his return.
Terry Bradshaw echoed that sentiment, but said Rivers has the advantage of potentially playing in shotgun the whole game. He could essentially be set immediately and could throw some quick passes and use his intelligence to take advantage of zone defenses. Howie Long joked that the whole thing could be an insurance scam, as NFL players lose their insurance benefits five years after retiring.
Given the circumstances, the odds appear stacked against Rivers. When he received a call about trying out for the Colts, the long-time NFL vet admitted he didn’t even have turf shoes anymore. He had to dig into a trophy case at home to pull out a pair, according to Jay Glazer.
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So, why exactly did Rivers want to return after five years away? First off, he loves playing football and jumped at one more chance to do it. But Rivers — who got into coaching post-NFL career — also told Glazer it was an opportunity to teach his kids not to live afraid or in doubt.
Who knows, maybe Rivers comes out and proves almost everyone wrong? Despite the odds, at least one Hall of Famer believes Rivers can succeed after a long layoff. NFL Network’s Kurt Warner boldly predicted 225 passing yards and two scores from Rivers in Week 15.
Rivers is certainly taking the opportunity seriously. Prior to the contest, Rivers was spotted on the field with his play sheet seemingly taking mental reps.
That eventually advanced to Rivers practicing throws in uniform on the field in anticipation of his first start in years.
Rivers’ pedigree isn’t in doubt. In his previous 17 seasons in the NFL, Rivers built a career worthy of Canton. When he left the game following the 2020 season, he had a 64.9 career completion percentage, 421 touchdowns and 209 interceptions. He still managed solid numbers in his final NFL season, throwing 24 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and leading the Colts to the playoffs.
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No matter what happens in Week 15, Rivers’ return is the type of thing typically seen in movies. The Colts are desperately hoping for a storybook ending.
