The Indianapolis Colts Have Just Signed Philip Rivers, Who's Now A Grandpa, Out Of Retirement

It's very difficult to win in the NFL without a strong quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts are seeing this unfold in real time. Their starter, Daniel Jones, is out for the season after tearing his right Achilles. The backup, Anthony Richardson Sr., suffered a facial fracture after a freak equipment room accident. Now, third-stringer Riley Leonard, who came in last weekend after Jones went down, is nursing a knee injury of his own.

The Colts are in dire straits, and they're turning to a familiar face. The team announced it's signed Philip Rivers to the practice squad.

Rivers retired from the NFL in January 2021 after 17 seasons. He primarily played with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, though he joined the Colts for his final season. He's also now 44 years old and a grandpa—but he still might be the best option for an Indianapolis team desperately fighting for a playoff spot.

Lance King/Getty Images

After an 8-2 start, the Colts were one of the feel-good stories of the season. But three straight losses, including a pair against fellow AFC South playoff contenders in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, has dampened their postseason hopes. The Colts are currently 8th in the AFC race, losing the tiebreaker to the Texans for the final playoff spot.

Leonard is a rookie the Colts selected in the sixth round. He led Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff championship game last year, but the NFL is a different beast than the NCAA. Rivers was selected as the fourth overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft. He spent his first 16 years in the NFL with the Chargers before a single swan song season in Indianapolis.

That year, Rivers led the Colts to a surprising 11-5 record and a playoff appearance. He threw for over 4,000 yards and finished the season with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He reportedly looked impressive in his workout, though he understandably needs to improve his conditioning.

Rivers, who has ten children with his wife Tiffany, became a grandfather in late 2024. His first child, Halle, gave birth to a baby boy, just a year after Rivers' tenth child was born. He could become just the second grandfather to play in the NFL, joining Brett Favre.

Another interesting wrinkle is Rivers's Hall of Fame status. He's currently a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. If the Colts simply keep him on the practice squad, he'll maintain his eligibility. If he signs to the Colts' active roster—even if he doesn't take a single snap all season long—his eligibility clock would start over. Assuming he retired again after this season, that means Rivers wouldn't be eligible for the Hall of Fame until 2031.

Then again, joining the Colts for the stretch run and leading them to a Super Bowl victory would be a pretty impressive addition to Rivers's resume. That would certainly be worth the wait.