Philip Rivers” brief return to the NFL has come to an end, and the veteran quarterback has no regrets about his efforts. At 44 years old, Rivers stepped back into the game with hopes of leading the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs, but he will not start in the season finale against the Houston Texans.
Head coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Wednesday that rookie Riley Leonard would take over the starting position, marking the likely conclusion of Rivers” 18-year career in the league. This decision came after the Colts were eliminated from playoff contention following a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars the previous week.
After the defeat, Steichen had hinted at the possibility of making a quarterback change. Rivers, who described his last three games as “three bonus games,” went winless but provided the Colts with competitive performances against their opponents. In the game against Seattle, he nearly secured a win before a last-minute field goal denied him. Another game saw the Colts score 27 points, but their defense faltered, leading to a 48-27 loss against San Francisco.
In his final appearance against Jacksonville, Rivers connected with Mo Alie-Cox for a touchdown that gave the Colts a brief lead, but they ultimately fell short, marking their sixth consecutive defeat. Reflecting on his comeback, Rivers stated, “If this was the last one — shoot again, I told you guys I wouldn”t have any regrets about coming back, and I don”t. Other than us not winning, right — us not winning. It”s been an absolute blast for three weeks.”
Rivers had previously led the Colts to the playoffs in 2020 and is now set to return to his coaching position at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama. With the Colts facing a significant offseason ahead, questions loom about Steichen”s future and that of general manager Chris Ballard after the team became the first in three decades to start 8-2 and miss the playoffs.
The quarterback situation remains uncertain as the Colts prepare for the future. With Anthony Richardson still recovering from an injury, Rivers” departure leaves Leonard as the likely starter going forward. While Rivers insists he is content with his legacy, he humorously remarked about the possibility of future comebacks, saying, “Oh yeah, yeah. I”ll be right back on the sideline.”
