Most of the league laughed when the Indianapolis Colts signed Philip Rivers. Indy was faced with a double disaster when Daniel Jones, who somehow turned into an elite quarterback this season, suffered a ruptured Achilles, and their backup, Anthony Richardson, was on injured reserve due to a freak accident.
And of course, it all happened after the trade deadline had expired, so that left the desperate Colts to call on Old Man Rivers, a 44-year-old grandfather who hadn't played in years. Yet to everyone's surprise, Rivers turned out to be... pretty awesome, actually.
To everyone's surprise, the Colts lost embarrassingly to the San Francisco 49ers, and it was almost entirely the fault of the Indianapolis defense. And to be fair, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is having to make do with a pretty battered defensive unit.
Colts fans know who actually used to make stops, so let’s bring them back
Indy needs some serious help on defense, and there isn't any to be found anytime soon, so maybe Anarumo should take some inspiration from Rivers and reach out to a few former Colts greats. Hey, they've got nothing better to do with their time, right?
Right?
If Rivers can still be a great quarterback at 44, then there are plenty of awesome Colts alums in that same age bracket who might be needed to come save this season. And why not? It worked for the offense, and you know what they say about desperate times.
Robert Mathis
Like Rivers, Mathis is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he could take a page out of Rivers' book and just... put that off for a few more years. Mathis is a legendary defensive end, and he's only 44!
He's the all-time leader in forced fumbles (52) and strip-sacks (47) in the entire NFL, and was named All-Pro twice, and played five times in the Pro Bowl. Why not bring him back? The pass rush clearly needs some help.
Dwight Freeney
Another Indy legend who, believe it or not, is only 45. While Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt are good linebackers, they just weren't getting the job done. Freeney's already in the Hall of Fame, but there's technically no rule barring him from returning to the NFL again.
He's one of the best ever to play the game at his position, and the Colts apparently can't handle coverage anymore. Some reinforcements may be needed, especially if Franklin and Pratt keep letting opposing offenses run all over them.
Bob Sanders
Yeah, the Colts have some good safeties in Nick Cross and Cam Bynum, but they also let George Kittle stomp all over them. He racked up seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, and that's without even playing in the fourth quarter. Ouch.
And hey, Sanders is only 44. Maybe he can pull a Rivers and show the Colts defense how to defend tight ends. It's ridiculous... or is it? This Indianapolis team is in a freefall, and let's be honest. It's not as if it could get any worse.