Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 | 2 a.m.
Editor’s note: “Behind the News” is the product of Sun staff assisted by the Sun’s AI lab, which includes a variety of tools such as Anthropic’s Claude, Perplexity AI, Google Gemini and ChatGPT.
The Indianapolis Colts bolstered their injury-depleted quarterback corps this week by bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement and signing him to the practice squad. Rivers hadn’t played in the NFL since the 2020-21 season, making this comeback all the more remarkable — after all, most people in their 40s are more focused on beer league softball than practicing NFL playbooks.
Rivers held a press conference/media availability at the Colts facility Wednesday, in the lead‑up to Sunday’s game at Seattle. He repeatedly stressed that he is “not here to save the year or be a hero,” saying the Colts will need to run the ball well and play strong defense, and that if he plays, he knows he has physical limitations at age 44.
Rivers, who became a grandfather last year, said his family is “a little scared, a little nervous,” but also excited, noting some of his younger kids barely remember him as an NFL player and his older sons are “fired up” about seeing him potentially play again.
Rivers returning at 44 would put him in rare company in modern American pro sports, where very few players at skill positions last into their mid‑40s, and almost none do it after multiple seasons away.
Oldest athletes all time
Across major sports, the true age outliers are mostly specialists or stars who could compete with reduced speed but elite skill and savvy.
- MLB: Satchel Paige pitched one ceremonial three‑inning game for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965 at 59 years old, the oldest MLB appearance on record; even in that cameo he allowed only one hit and no runs.
- Basketball: Italian guard Pierluigi Marzorati played a ceremonial minute for Cantù at age 54 in a top‑level league game.
- Hockey: Gordie Howe’s actual farewell came at 52 in the NHL, but he also skated in a minor‑league game at 69 as a publicity one‑off, still moving well enough to take a regular shift.
- Individual sports: Kelly Slater has surfed World Surf League events into his early 50s, and Oksana Chusovitina remained an Olympic‑level gymnast at 46 and a World Cup competitor into her 50s, both still qualifying on merit rather than nostalgia.
In almost every case, these ultra-old seasons are cameos or role‑specific rather than sustained, full‑time stardom, which is what makes any 40‑plus everyday contributor stand out.
Oldest current pros in major leagues
By 2025, the oldest active players in U.S. team sports are almost all pitchers, goalies or reserve veterans; Rivers at 44 would immediately be near the very top of that age list.
- MLB: Justin Verlander, now with the San Francisco Giants, opened 2025 as the oldest player in baseball at 42 and has said he’s planning to pitch next season.
- NBA: LeBron James is the league’s oldest player at almost 41, still averaging star‑level minutes and production for the LA Lakers.
- NBA next tier: Players like Kyle Lowry, Garrett Temple and Al Horford are all 38-39 and hanging on as starters or rotation veterans, but they are role‑specific rather than franchise centerpieces.
- NHL/others: Hockey and global lists show Jaromír Jágr still playing pro in Europe in his 50s, while 53-year-old Slater and others remain active in individual sports.
A 44‑year‑old quarterback in a modern, speed‑driven NFL sits outside even that pattern, especially coming off a gap of four‑plus years.
Rivers’ career, résumé
Rivers is one of the most productive quarterbacks of the passing‑boom era, with a statistical profile that fits comfortably in any Hall of Fame conversation even without a Super Bowl.
- Career arc: Drafted in 2004, he spent two years as a backup before starting for the Chargers from 2006-2019, then closed with one season as the Colts’ starter in 2020, leading both franchises to playoff berths.
- Counting stats: Rivers ranks fifth all‑time in passing yards (about 63,400), fifth in passing touchdowns (over 420), and completed just under 65% of his passes for his career.
- Honors: He earned eight Pro Bowl selections, led the league in passing yards once and passer rating once, and won Comeback Player of the Year in 2013 after rebounding from a turnover‑heavy stretch.
- Playoff profile: Rivers reached the postseason seven times, made one AFC Championship Game (famously playing on a torn ACL), but never reached a Super Bowl, which is the main gap on his résumé.
At his peak, Rivers was one of the league’s most efficient volume passers, living in the top tier by yards and touchdowns even in seasons when his teams were middling.
Why Rivers returning at 44 is unusual
NFL careers are notoriously short, and quarterback careers — even at the safer end of that spectrum — usually do not survive much past the late 30s.
- Average career: League and union analyses put the median NFL career at roughly 3-4 years overall, dragged down by players who barely stick on rosters.
- Quarterbacks: Established starters last longer, but even high‑end passers usually fade or retire by 37-39; Tom Brady and a few others into their mid‑40s are historical outliers, not a trend.
- Return from retirement: It is rare for a quarterback to sit out multiple full seasons, cross into his mid‑40s, and then be asked to reenter an NFL practice field, even “only” on a practice squad.
Sources
