One certainty of Philip Rivers' return with the Indianapolis Colts is that we shouldn't judge him based on one game. Whether he performs extremely well in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks or poorly, Indy will have three games remaining in which Rivers needs to be great.
The entire rest of the regular season schedule is brutal. After Seattle, Indy must play the San Francisco 49ers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans. Even if Daniel Jones was still healthy, Indianapolis might have a difficult time.
The thinking is that with Jones lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and backup Anthony Richardson likely out too with a broken orbital bone, Philip Rivers gives the team the best chance to win. Better than Riley Leonard would, anyway.
Geoff Schwartz is no believer in what the Indianapolis Colts are doing with Philip Rivers
Rivers was signed out of retirement after Jones was hurt in Week 14, and while there were some questions whether Rivers would start immediately, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that the 44-year-old QB would indeed start.
Former New York Giants (and Kansas City Chiefs) offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz is fairly certain, in his opinion, that Indy's gamble with Rivers is going to turn out horribly. Schwartz is now a podcast host who works for FOX Sports. In other words, one might not care for what he has to say, but he has a platform to say it.
That includes his active social media presence, which he used to give a succinct thought on whether Philip Rivers is going to succeed for Indianapolis in 2025. In short, no, he won't.
Schwartz wrote, "This is insane and in no way will end well."
Let's not jump too far ahead, however, Mr. Schwartz. While you may very well be correct, Rivers does have some advantages he wouldn't have had he chosen to un-retire elsewhere. One includes his previous working relationship with Colts head coach Shane Steichen and his recent experience working with Steichen's system.
This is insane and in no way will end well. https://t.co/EIJtADcrms
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 13, 2025
Rivers coaches the system at a high school in Alabama. Sure, there is a massive difference between trying to coach the scheme against teenagers and attempting to run it efficiently while being tackled by NFL players, but at least Rivers will know where to go with the ball and will need to do so quickly.
Maybe Philip Rivers won't be a Disney-type success with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025. But let's not assume he won't be until he isn't.