Philip Rivers Makes Historic NFL Comeback with Indianapolis Colts After 1,800-Day Gap
Philip Rivers, aged 44, made a historic return to the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts after an unprecedented 1,800-day gap since his last start. His comeback was prompted by injuries to the Colts' starting quarterback Daniel Jones and rookie Riley Leonard. The Colts cited Rivers' familiarity with head coach Shane Steichen's system, dating back to their time together with the Chargers, as the primary reason for bringing him back.
Since 2021, Rivers had been serving as the head coach at St Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where his offensive strategies mirrored those of Steichen's Colts system, facilitating his seamless return.
In his first game back, playing in Seattle, Rivers completed 18 of 26 passes for 120 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception, with a passer rating of 91.8. Notably, a 16-yard completion to Alec Pierce on a critical 3rd-and-7 helped set up a potential game-winning 60-yard field goal attempt by Blake Grupe. Despite this, Jason Myers ultimately kicked the Seahawks to an 18-16 victory with only 22 seconds remaining, with Rivers delivering a late touchdown pass during the game.
