In the eyes of one of Philip Rivers’ former teammates, the 44-year-old quarterback has some unfinished business to tend to in the NFL.
Rivers signed a deal to join the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad on Tuesday following a workout. He last played in the NFL in 2020, when he led the Colts to a postseason berth, and was more recently coaching his oldest son, Gunner, and his high school football team.
Former NFL center Rich Ohrnberger, who played for two seasons with Rivers in the 2013 and 2014 seasons while with the San Diego Chargers, believes that Rivers can be a difference maker for the Colts as a leader in the locker room — and potentially on the field with some ramp-up.
“It’s sort of like the planets have aligned here,” Ohrnberger told me. “Not only is he still in great shape and clearly in good enough shape to be signed by an NFL team, but the competitor in him is still alive, and there’s a playoff-bound team that lost their starting quarterback, a franchise that he’s played for and a coach he’s worked for in years’ past.
“It’s going to be an amazing reunion, I feel, because when Philip Rivers is involved, in my brain, it’s automatic that things are going to improve because he’s just that type of leader, that type of player.”
The Colts, of course, at 8-5, are desperate. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday with an Achilles injury that will require surgery. His backup, Anthony Richardson, is also on the injured reserve with an eye injury.
Riley Leonard and Brett Rypien are the only other quarterbacks in the building and available for the Colts. Rivers and Leonard are both Alabama natives. Rivers trained Leonard during the pre-draft process and has served as his mentor. And now, Rivers is part of the Indianapolis quarterback room with Leonard.
Riley Leonard is set to make his first NFL start this weekend. But if his lingering knee injury forces him to sit out, Philip Rivers could be in line to start Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Rivers was on the ballot to move forward as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. By signing with the Colts on the practice squad, Rivers remains eligible to be inducted into the Hall next year. However, once Rivers signs to the active roster for the Colts, he resets his Hall of Fame candidacy for another five years, meaning he would not be eligible until the 2031 class.
Rivers finished his 17-year NFL career 134-106 as a starter (5-7 in the playoffs). Rivers is currently seventh all-time in passing yards (63,440), sixth in passing touchdowns (420) and 18th in passer rating (95.2). And Rivers’ 240-game streak of consecutive starts is only second to Brett Favre (297).
But can Rivers still play? Over the last five years, he’s been serving as the head coach in his home state of Alabama at St. Michael Catholic High School, where his son, Gunner, is a junior and a recruit for Division I teams. Rivers intimately knows Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s offense as he was his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator during his time with the Chargers.
Chargers safety Tony Jefferson, a San Diego native, grew up watching Rivers ply his craft in his hometown as a kid and later played against him during his time with the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens. Now playing for the Chargers, the 33-year-old Jefferson said he got an up-close look at Rivers’ ultra-competitive nature when his son played on the same flag football team together with Gunner. Rivers served as the team’s offensive coordinator.
“He’s one of the most competitive guys I’ve ever been around,” Jefferson told me. “We’re out there with the young guys, and he’s getting after it with the refs. I’m not surprised one bit that he would come back.”
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And how does Jefferson think Rivers will play?
“I think he’ll be fine,” Jefferson told me. “Quarterbacks really don’t need to be that mobile most of the time. And if you can still sling it, you can rely on your quick game. And if he’s going to Indianapolis, he’ll be well-protected. I don’t see it being that big of an issue for him to step in.”
Longtime Chargers safety Derwin James, who played with Rivers during his time with the team, agreed.
“Phil’s got a hold on that,” James said at his locker following the Chargers’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, as the news of Rivers’ possible comeback loomed over Los Angeles’ upset victory. “He’s consistent with it. He’s very smart. He’s seen every pressure, every blitz in the NFL so he’ll be all right.”
Whether Rivers makes it onto the field this weekend against one of the best defenses in the NFL in Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks or watches from the sidelines remains to be seen. But Ohrnberger expects his former teammate to have an impact on the game.
“Philip Rivers is the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Ohrnberger told me. “He can elevate an environment just with his presence. He’s a teacher and a coach by heart, that’s the reason he chose that profession after his playing career ended.
“And he has this incredible football knowledge and IQ. And a really great way of sharing that information. The whole intelligence quotient of the team is going to rise just having him as part of the franchise. Whether he plays or not, he’s still going to have a major impact on the Colts this season.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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