The Indianapolis Colts made a desperate move after losing Daniel Jones to an Achilles rupture late in the season. With Anthony Richardson still on injured reserve and rookie Riley Leonard a far-from-viable candidate to lead the team at QB1, head coach Shane Steichen made a risky move: he called in 44-year-old grandfather Philip Rivers.
It was a decision that had no shortage of doubters, but Rivers proved why he's seen as worthy of being in the Hall of Fame; though his abilities were nowhere near those of his glory days, he still was a smart, efficient, and capable QB.
Though Rivers' return didn't save the Colts' 2025 season the way Steichen likely hoped he would, he was still clearly their best option at the time. Unfortunately, with Indy now out of playoff contention, Rivers' time as a Colt has likely come to an end.
Philip Rivers showed just how much returning to the Colts meant to him
After the Colts' Week 17 loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it's been assumed that Rivers has played his last NFL game. Indianapolis is officially out of playoff contention, so it's Leonard who might end up starting next week against the Houston Texans. It's an all-but-meaningless game, but it's also a chance for a rookie QB3 to see what he might be capable of.
In the meantime, Rivers spoke about coming back to the Colts and what it meant to him, even getting a little emotional in the process. While he stressed that he would support whatever decision the Indianapolis leadership makes, he also has no regrets about coming back.
Philip Rivers getting a bit emotional on if this is his last start: pic.twitter.com/mxTOqiS9p6
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) December 28, 2025
"If this was the last one, shoot, again, I told you guys I wouldn't have any regrets about coming back," he said. "I don't, other than us not winning, right? It's been an absolute blast for three weeks. If I go back and say, all right, now you know everything's gonna happen, what are you gonna do? I'd do it all again. It's been absolutely awesome. And so yeah, I mean, if it's the last one, it's the last one."
It seems certain that Rivers won't be suiting up for any NFL team ever again, so it's not altogether surprising that he seemed to get a little choked up at this point. Previously, in 2020, Rivers played for the Colts in a season that ended in the wild-card round of the playoffs, with a heartbreaking loss to the Buffalo Bills. And he alluded to it in his post-game comments.
"I thought the last one was walking off the field at Buffalo, walking through that tunnel," he said. "And I was fine with that. I was in tears those few days after, and I was at peace with that being the last one. So certainly, if it is, I got three bonus games that I never saw coming, and I couldn't be more thankful that I got the opportunity."
It's hard for anyone to be forced to stop doing the thing they love and walk away forever. (Just look at Tom Brady.) But through this whole process, Rivers has proven that he is a stand-up guy, even choosing to charge the bare minimum to come back and play again. It's clear that from here on out, regardless of how disastrous this season was, he's always going to have a spot in the hearts of Colts fans for what he's done for this team.