Well, this was on nobody’s bingo card.
Philip Rivers at the advanced age of 44 is back in the NFL. And he’s the Indianapolis Colts’ best bet to help keep their playoff hopes alive.
Put In Philip Rivers
The 17-year veteran is 13-7 in the month of December over his last five seasons. That’s a reliable veteran to add to the roster that has a proven record that he can lead his teams to a strong finish.
Rivers’ last game was in 2020 — a wildcard loss to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Despite that, there should be no concerns for Rivers’ mental process as he and Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen go back to their Chargers days where Steichen was the quarterbacks coach from 2016-2019.
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Having a high football IQ is a trait that doesn’t leave players at any level. When a quarterback recognizes an opponent lining up incorrectly on a blitz package, that’s definitely an intelligent quarterback that knows what he’s doing.
Rivers also has familiarity with Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman was a rookie during Rivers’ first year in Indianapolis, catching 40 passes for 531 yards and one touchdown.
Take it for what’s worth too — Jonathan Taylor was also taking handoffs from Rivers in 2020.
Age Is Just a Number
The only concern is if the eight-time Pro-Bowler is physically in shape to play football — especially at 44-years-old.
Because Rivers is that old, of course it raises eyebrows for the Colts to sign someone that hasn’t played a down in five years.
While some say this a move out of desperation by the Colts, it’s actually a logical choice. Indianapolis is signing a quarterback that knows the offense like the back of his hand. If the Colts were signing a 27-year-old Rivers, nobody would bat an eye.
After his initial retirement, Rivers went to coaching high school football in Alabama. So no, he was not pulled off the couch to return to play quarterback.
He took off the headset and now he has the helmet back on — ready to hear the next play call from Steichen.
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