Philip Rivers Returns to NFL with Colts After Nearly 5 Years, NFL Season Updates
Philip Rivers, 44, made an unexpected return to the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts after an 1,800-day gap since his last professional start. Having been coaching high school football since 2021, Rivers' return was aided by his familiarity with head coach Shane Steichen’s offense and injuries to Colts quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Riley Leonard.
In his comeback game in Seattle, Rivers completed 18 of 26 passes for 120 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. A critical 16-yard backside fade to Alec Pierce helped set up a 60-yard game-tying field goal by Blake Grupe with 47 seconds left. However, Seahawks' Jason Myers won the game with a field goal in the final 22 seconds. Rivers traveled over 2,000 miles to Seattle, and his performance was described as remarkable and unprecedented given the lengthy layoff. The Colts dropped to a record of 8-6, with remaining games against the 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans. Rivers remained optimistic, expressing no concern about the physical demands and joking about wanting to get hit.
In other NFL news, Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, ending his season and likely dooming the Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) from postseason contention. Trevor Lawrence has shown a strong surge under new coach Liam Coen with the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4). The Buffalo Bills rallied from a 21-0 deficit to defeat the New England Patriots 35-31. The Denver Broncos (12-2) have clinched a playoff berth.
