A general manager and head coach have multiple jobs to do with any team, of course, but there should be little doubt that they have the final word on any decisions made. For the Indianapolis Colts, Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen should be firm in their thinking and how to move forward.
That means, according to ESPN, that Riley Leonard will start at quarterback in Week 18, while Philip Rivers will be his backup. The question is, why was the decision seemingly so difficult to make before Tuesday?
Rivers and Steichen appear to be good friends. They have stayed in touch consistently since the two worked together for many years with the Los Angeles Chargers. The quarterback was running the coach's offensive system when the QB was coaching high school football in Alabama.
Shane Steichen's comments on Philip Rivers should give Indianapolis Colts fans pause
The relationship between the two might have made Rivers coming out of retirement to try to save the Colts' season possible. Ultimately, that didn't happen. Rivers ran the offense as well as he could, but at 44 years old, he has greatly diminished physical skills. It has affected what the offense can do.
Week 18 for Indy is meaningless. No playoff game is waiting, whether Indianapolis wins or loses. Philip Rivers is almost certainly not returning in 2026 (he shouldn't). There is no reason not to start rookie Riley Leonard against the Houston Texans and allow him to get QB1 reps in practice and all reps in the game.
But based on what Steichen told the media on Monday, he was still thinking of starting Rivers. Even worse, he sounded like a person who might make a decision that their friend doesn't like. The problem is Shane Steichen gets paid to make tough decisions, and if he is afraid to do that, he doesn't need to have his current job.
"Bringing Philip in here, to come here and play, is what he wanted to do, and he's been playing," Steichen said. "Obviously, there's one (game) left. So, those are conversations we're having with him to see how that goes. That's pretty much it. Getting a feel for him, and obviously, Riley having an opportunity to play as well.
One reporter even asked if Rivers' playing was the quarterback's decision, to which Steichen answered, "We're having those conversations...(Rivers is) going to be supportive of whatever it is."
Well, isn't that nice? It is good when a boss has to talk over a key decision with an employee to make sure the employee isn't going to be too upset by it, right? It doesn't work that way in football, though. A coach needs to be self-assured enough they make a final decision, and the player lives with it.
Riley Leonard needs to start in Week 18, as there was literally no reason to start Philip Rivers. Sure, the Indianapolis Colts and Shane Steichen want to win the game, but as good as the Houston Texans' defense is and how limited Philip Rivers is, no guarantee that playing Leonard gives the Colts any lesser chance to get a victory.