Latest update indicates Philip Rivers could remain with Colts beyond 2020
By Jerry Trotta
It sounds like the Colts are interested in bringing back Philip Rivers for ’21.
The Indianapolis Colts have flown under the radar this season in terms of being recognized as a legitimate playoff contender, which is pretty bizarre when you consider that they’re 9-4 and just one game back of the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
A ripple effect of that circumstance has unfortunately seen Philip Rivers’ remarkable consistency go overlooked. Indianapolis has had little margin for error over the last two months, and the 39-year-old quarterback has flourished in their recently-instilled aggressive offensive approach.
In the simplest of terms, Rivers’ unforeseen dependability in 2020 will force the Colts’ hand in thinking long and hard about whether they want to bring him back next year. Well, if head coach Frank Reich’s latest comments about him were any indication, there’s a really strong chance of that happening.
Frank Reich on 39-year-old QB, Philip Rivers: "If he wants, he's got multiple years of good football left in him."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) December 14, 2020
Rivers will be a free agent in the spring, but the understanding when he signed with the Colts last spring was that this could be a multiyear thing.
"“At the way he’s playing right now … if he wants, he has multiple years of good football ahead of him,” Reich told reporters.“Never been a doubt in my mind the kind of football Philip Rivers could play and would play this year and has played. Had that much confidence in him, so it wasn’t a hard decision. Yeah you’re putting your neck on the line for somebody, but OK, this is the kind of guy you want to put your neck on the line for.”"
Rivers might have turned 39 last week, but you could easily mistake his body of work in 2020 to that of a quarterback in the prime of his career. He currently ranks in the top 10 in completion percentage (68.1%), passing yards (3,507) and yards per attempt (7.8).
The eight-time Pro Bowler has also contributed 20 touchdowns to just nine interceptions, and an elite 97.4 passer rating, which is actually good for the 11th-best mark in the NFL. He’s obviously posted more eye-opening statistics with the Chargers, but let’s bear in mind that his arm strength isn’t what it once was and Indy is still a predominantly run-first offense.
Good afternoon.
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) December 14, 2020
Philip Rivers — who is 39 years old and playing for a new team after not having a real offseason — currently ranks 4th among all QBs in EPA/play.
I hope you all have a nice day.
An underrated aspect in all of this has been the Colts’ formidable offensive line, which has really helped protect Rivers’ immobility by giving him more time to go through his progressions and pick apart defenses.
What more needs to be said? The eight-time Pro Bowler has proven to be more than capable of running the offense for another year while the front office figures out what they have in 2020 fourth-round pick Jacob Eason and/or considers other potential long-term options.
