Philip Rivers

Colts QB Philip Rivers Expected To Start In Week 15

December 13th, 2025 at 12:57pm CST by Connor Byrne

Quarterback Philip Rivers shockingly ended his retirement this week to rejoin the Colts on a practice squad deal. After the 44-year-old showed well in practice, the Colts signed him to their active roster on Saturday. The move put an end to his 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy. A semifinalist before returning to Indianapolis, Rivers will have to wait until 2031 to regain eligibility for enshrinement.

The Colts have not officially named Rivers as their starter for Week 15. He will indeed get the nod, though, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

Rivers, who has spent most of his career with the Chargers, is set to take the reins for the first time since he quarterbacked the Colts to the playoffs during the 2020 season. His most recent start came on Jan. 9, 2021, in a wild-card round loss in Buffalo.

Exactly 1,800 days later (h/t: Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports), Rivers will face another significant test on the road against the 10-3 Seahawks and their second-ranked scoring defense on Sunday. No QB 40 or older has experienced that large of a gap between games, Jones notes.

Nobody envisioned a Rivers reunion taking place at the beginning of the week. However, the Colts are in desperation mode after No. 1 quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. After a 7-1 start, the Colts’ latest defeat dropped them to 8-5. They’ve spiraled from first place in the AFC to eighth over the past month and a half. They’ll pay Rivers, who has earned $242MM in the NFL, the prorated veteran minimum, per Mike Chappell of FOX59.

Thanks to Rivers’ familiarity with head coach Shane Steichen and their offense, the Colts have more confidence in the eight-time Pro Bowler running the show than their other options. Rookie Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick from Notre Dame, may have been in line for his first career start had Rivers stayed retired. Leonard sprained his PCL in Jacksonville, but he’s now healthy. He joined Rivers in taking first-team practice reps this week. Journeyman backup Brett Rypien is also in the fold.

Already among the league’s least mobile QBs before his initial retirement, Rivers will become the sixth signal-caller to play at 44-plus, Mike Chappell of FOX59 points out. The group currently consists of George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, and Tom Brady.

Rivers hopes to join Testaverde and Brady as passers to win at least one game at his age, though the Colts are staring down a brutal season-ending slate. Rivers helping the Colts rally for a playoff berth would make for an incredible story, but with the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans left on their schedule, the odds are heavily against it.

Colts Sign QB Philip Rivers To Active Roster

December 13th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 13: The Colts officially signed Rivers to their active roster from their practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They could have used practice squad elevations for the next three games – after this week’s drama, no team would dare poach him – but he seems poised to start for the rest of the season. If that is the case, adding him to the active roster now makes sense.

The move also cements one of the most ironic aspects of Rivers’ decision to come out of retirement. He was a semi-finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year; now, he will not be eligible until 2031.

DECEMBER 12: Once Philip Rivers‘ deal with the Colts was officially in place, attention turned to the matter of when he would play. The now-unretired passer looks to be on course to make his NFL return this Sunday.

Rivers has practiced each of the past two days, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes it is clear which quarterback the Colts are preparing to get the nod for Week 15. Barring an unforeseen development, Rivers will be in place against the Seahawks. Provided that proves to be the case, it will add further to one of the NFL’s most interesting and unexpected stories in recent memory.

Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear ended his impressive debut season in Indianapolis and left the Colts thin on the QB depth chart. Backup Anthony Richardson remains on injured reserve, while sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard suffered a PCL sprain in Week 14 upon taking over from Jones. Brett Rypien is on the active roster after spending time on the practice squad, but Rivers is viewed as a better option for leading the Colts back into a playoff spot down the stretch.

Comebacks have been considered on more than one occasion in the 44-year-old’s case, but this is the first which has come to bear. Rivers immediately expressed interest in a second Colts stint upon being contacted by the team this past Sunday, as detailed by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Rivers and head coach Shane Steichen (who worked together during their shared time with the Chargers) have remained in contact since their time together ended, with the former using the latter’s offense on the high school team he coaches.

Rivers will presumably reprise his role as the head coach of his eldest son’s HS team next fall. Before that point, however, he is in line to briefly resume his NFL playing career. Doing so will restart the eight-time Pro Bowler’s five-year waiting period with respect to eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the meantime, Rivers will aim to guide the Colts to a win against a Seahawks defense which ranks near the top of the NFL in several categories.

Indianapolis sits at 8-5, an illustration of how far the team has fallen from a hugely successful start to the campaign. With the Jaguars (9-4) and Texans (8-5) firmly in contention for the AFC South title, a home playoff game is far less certain than it once looked. Securing a wild-card spot will be a strong challenge in its own right, and if the Colts are to achieve that feat it appears Rivers will be tasked with handling QB1 duties right away.

Philip Rivers Addresses Colts Return; Latest On Riley Leonard

December 10th, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Philip Rivers has not played since a narrow Colts wild-card loss to the Bills in January 2021. That ended a one-and-done stint with Indianapolis, and Rivers’ retirement accelerated the franchise’s post-Andrew Luck quarterback carousel. Somehow, Rivers is coming back to the Colts after nearly five years away, being signed to the team’s practice squad following a workout.

Despite the QB’s absence, the Colts have a high number of players (14) still around from his 2020 season in town. The Colts have hung onto the core of their team despite having missed every playoff bracket since Rivers’ first stint ended, but Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear deals what could be a crippling blow to that nucleus’ chances of playing in another postseason game. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Colts a 26% chance to make the playoffs. They have gone to a historically interesting place to increase those odds.

Following Jones’ injury, Rivers — who turned 44 on Monday — said he wondered if Shane Steichen would call on him in this emergency circumstance. Steichen, who is four years younger than the Colts’ most recent QB signing, was with the Chargers from 2014-20. This involved a four-year overlap as QBs coach and part of the 2019 season as the Bolts’ interim OC. Rivers being close with Steichen and GM Chris Ballard, who is still in place from when he played on a one-year, $25MM deal, helped make this improbable return happen.

Steichen called Rivers on Sunday to discuss a comeback. This was not the first time Rivers was contacted about a comeback. As our Ben Levine reminded Monday, the 49ers would have started him in Super Bowl LVII had they made it past the favored Eagles following Brock Purdy‘s UCL tear.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Wednesday (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman) he talked with Rivers after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s December 2022 foot fracture, but the coach mentioned the team felt good about Purdy — then a rookie, the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant draftee — so it stood down on a signing. Had San Francisco made the Super Bowl that year, though, Rivers would have started. A Saints 2021 comeback also floated as a possibility, as Jameis Winston had torn an ACL.

Those overtures made a bit more sense than this one, since Rivers has been out of the game so long. The 2004 draftee said (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) he discussed the comeback with his wife and a few associates before deciding to give it a try.

“[Football] is a game I love to play, a game that I thought I was done playing. Certainly, I wasn’t really hanging on to any hope of playing again,” Rivers said. “I kind of thought that ship had sailed. But something about it excited me. And it’s kind of one of those deals; the door opens and you can either walk through it and find out if you can do it or run from it.”

While not a Hall of Fame lock, Rivers is in his first year of eligibility; he was named a semifinalist for the 2026 class recently. This reemergence will delay his potential induction by at least five years. Drew Brees, the quarterback Rivers replaced in San Diego, will undoubtedly be enshrined this year after retiring in January 2021.

“I’d not given any thought of actually playing again until about 48 hours ago, to be honest with you, but this wasn’t just any place or any coach. It’s not like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’ll see what happens in the league and see if I can get ready,’” Rivers said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Brown. “The Hall of Fame is a real honor. To be mentioned with those other 25 guys, but I’m not holding my breath on that.

“And I hadn’t been counting down the years, with all respect to the Hall. If one day I can be part of that group, it would be special – no doubt about it. But the extension of that time, if that comes to be, is not a factor in my decision.”

This Rivers comeback even surpasses the duration of ex-starter Steve DeBerg‘s in the 1990s; DeBerg had retired following the 1993 season, only to be asked back for a 1998 return — also at age 44. DeBerg, however, served as Chris Chandler‘s Falcons backup that year. He made one start — against the Bill Parcells– and Bill Belichick-coached Jets — that ended with a 28-3 Jets win. Rivers’ reemergence is obviously a higher-profile transaction, and Steichen confirmed it could mean a Week 15 starting assignment against a 10-3 Seahawks team.

Steichen did not slam the door on Rivers playing even if Riley Leonard is healthy enough to go. Leonard, who suffered a PCL sprain upon relieving Jones, practiced fully today, but Holder points to Rivers being the more likely Indy starter against a high-end Seattle defense.

Rivers has considerable familiarity with Steichen’s offense, right down to using a version of it at St. Michael Catholic High (Fairhope, Ala.). That influenced his decision to return, and the six-year overlap with Steichen in San Diego and Los Angeles is poised to give the third-year Indianapolis HC a memorable decision.

Rivers is an eight-time Pro Bowler who led the Colts to an 11-5 season under Frank Reich, throwing 24 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions. After a down 2019, that 2020 season may play a key role in Rivers’ Hall of Fame case. It is highly unlikely this 2025 cameo will, but it certainly promises to be among the most memorable comebacks in NFL history.

“I’m not here to stinking save the year or be a hero by any means,” Rivers said, via Yahoo’s Jori Epstein. “We got to stinking run the crap out of the football and play defense and do all those things. So if that comes to be, and I’m the one that’s out there, I’m not here to try to save the day. I’m going to know where I’m limited. And as we go, it will get better, if that’s the route we end up going.”

Riley Leonard Dealing With PCL Sprain, ‘Very Real Chance’ Philip Rivers Starts For Colts

December 10th, 2025 at 10:37am CST by Nikhil Mehta

DECEMBER 10: Leonard will practice on Wednesday, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. The Colts will decide their starter by the end of the week, Erickson adds.

DECEMBER 9: The Colts’ quarterback situation remains in flux after a season-ending injury to quarterback Daniel Jones.

Riley Leonard, who finished Sunday’s game, is dealing with a Grade 1 PCL sprain, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His status will be updated on Wednesday when the Colts release their first injury report of Week 15. That could position Philip Rivers to start within a week of re-signing in Indianapolis.

With Leonard considered day-to-day, there is a “very real chance” that Rivers starts for Indianapolis in Week 15, Rapoport added later in the day. His Monday night workout showed that he still can pass the football, but his conditioning may not be game-ready quiet yet, according to ESPN’s Eric Holder.

The Colts may have been planning to bring Rivers in regardless of Leonard’s injury, but it certainly has raised the urgency for the team to add another quarterback, especially one that could come in and play right away. Rivers is very familiar with Colts head coach Shane Steichen after spending six seasons together with the Chargers. Steichen was the team’s quarterbacks coach for four years while Rivers was the starter. Their relationship played a role in this latest reunion, per Holder.

And despite not playing in the last few years, Rivers still has a deep understanding of the Colts’ offensive scheme. After retiring, he took over as the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama. He has been running a version of Steichen’s offense, per CBS Sports’ J.J. Watt, with the two discussing it weekly.

This is not the only time that Rivers has considered coming out of retirement with other quarterback situations occasionally stirring some conversations, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, but none have ever made enough sense to actually pull the trigger. His past relationship with Steichen and the Colts clearly make this a different situation.

Rivers will have a short week to get into playing shape and build chemistry with his new teammates, though he has already played with a few. Left guard Quenton Nelson and right tackle Braden Smith blocked for Rivers in 2020; also in that offense were then-rookies Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman.

Colts Place Charvarius Ward On IR, Announce Philip Rivers Signing

December 10th, 2025 at 9:06am CST by Connor Byrne

The Colts have placed cornerback Charvarius Ward on IR for the second time this season and announced the signing of quarterback Philip Rivers to their practice squad. The team also signed quarterback Brett Rypien and kicker Blake Grupe from its practice squad to its 53-man roster.

With four games remaining, Ward’s regular season is over as a result of his third concussion of 2025. He may have a chance to return if the Colts qualify for the playoffs, but the club is on the outside of the bracket heading into Week 15. Once 7-1, the Colts have fallen to 8-5.

Ward, a former Chief and 49er, joined the Colts on a three-year deal worth up to $60MM last March. The move has paid off when Ward has been healthy enough to play. The 29-year-old has totaled 25 tackles and seven passes defensed in seven games (all starts), and Pro Football Focus ranks him as the sixth-best cornerback of 2025.

Ward’s latest concussion means the Colts will have to go without their top two cornerbacks for at least some portion of their four-game closing stretch. The team took an enormous gamble at the Nov. 4 trade deadline in sending two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for star corner Sauce Gardner.

Quarterback Daniel Jones was healthy and enjoying a career season around the deadline, leading general manager Chris Ballard to take a home run swing for Gardner. Things have not gone according to plan since then. Jones is now done for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. The 44-year-old Rivers, who retired after 2020, may replace Jones down the stretch in a last-ditch effort to save the Colts’ season.

Before Jones went down for the year, Gardner strained his calf in his third game as a Colt, a Week 13 loss to the Texans. Gardner missed Week 14, and he’s likely to sit out again this Sunday in Seattle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. At the earliest, Gardner could return Week 16 against the 49ers.

With Ward out of commission and the Colts waiting for Gardner to come back, they’re down to Kenny Moore, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards, and Cameron Mitchell at corner. It’s a harsh development ahead of a meeting with the 10-3 Seahawks, who boast the NFL’s ninth-ranked passing attack. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, easily the league leader in receiving yards, won’t have to contend with Ward or Gardner.

Turning back to the offensive side, Rypien could at least serve as a backup option this week. Sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard is dealing with a PCL sprain that could force him to miss the game. Assuming the Colts elevate Rivers from their practice squad, Leonard’s absence would leave him and Rypien as the team’s choices under center. The 29-year-old Rypien, who joined the Colts’ taxi squad in mid-October, has combined for 17 appearances and six starts with the Broncos, Rams, and Bengals.

Grupe, a Dec. 2 practice squad pickup, has taken over at kicker since the Colts cut Michael Badgley after Week 13. Despite sloppy conditions in Jacksonville, Grupe hit both of his field goal attempts and converted his lone extra point last Sunday. Grupe, who began 2025 with the Saints, has gone 20 of 28 on field goals and 16 for 16 on PATs in 12 games this year.

Colts, QB Philip Rivers Agree To Deal

December 9th, 2025 at 11:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

After a successful workout, Philip Rivers has lined up an unexpected comeback. The 44-year-old quarterback is set to finish the 2025 season with the Colts.

Team and player agreed to a practice squad deal on Tuesday, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Indianapolis thus has an experienced (to say the least) option at the quarterback spot as the team looks to reach the playoffs. This move comes in the aftermath of Daniel Jones suffering an Achilles tear.

Rivers’ workout took place last night, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. He adds things went well, which has of course been confirmed by today’s signing. As the Colts plan their immediate future under center, they could find themselves relying on a passer whose last NFL game was played on January 9, 2021 relatively soon. Of course, that final Rivers contest came as a member of the Colts.

Following a storied Chargers career (which included time spent with current Colts head coach Shane Steichen), the eight-time Pro Bowler played his last NFL campaign with Indianapolis. That 2020 season produced a record of 11-5 and it marked the last time the Colts made the playoffs. If another postseason berth is to be possible this time around, Rivers could find himself playing a part.

Jones – added this past spring on a one-year free agent deal – enjoyed career highs in several categories prior to going down. A long-term Colts commitment may well have been on the horizon, but as his attention turns to recovery it remains to be seen if that will still come to bear. Meanwhile, backup Anthony Richardson is still on IR as he continues to deal with an orbital bone fracture. This Rivers signing is a strong indication Indianapolis feels Richardson will not be cleared to return any time soon.

That leaves Leonard and practice squad veteran Brett Rypien as the Colts’ other QB options. The team could stick with Leonard for at least one start, but with a record of 8-5 there is little (if any) margin for losses over the final month of the season. Deciding Rivers – who is now a grandfather – is the best path to a playoff berth would certainly represent an interesting choice on the part of Indianapolis. At a minimum, he will make for a notable taxi squad addition.

Whether or not the former NFL passing leader finds his way onto the active roster will be worth monitoring for a number of reasons. Rivers is currently in his first year of eligibility for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he is among the 26 semifinalists for the 2026 class. As Rapoport notes, that will not change if Rivers remains on the practice squad. Should a promotion to the active roster take place, however, his five-year waiting period for HOF eligibility will reset. That will be the case regardless of if Rivers sees any playing time or not.

The Colts face a daunting schedule over the final stretch, with games remaining against the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars and Texans. Finding offensive success against each of those opponents will be challenging, but a comeback attempt from an unlikely passer could become part of Indianapolis’ 2025 season.

Colts To Host QB Philip Rivers

December 8th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Ben Levine

In the wake of Daniel Jones‘ season-ending Achilles injury, the Colts are hoping to keep their once-promising season afloat. As the organization looks to fill the gaping hole under center, they’re turning to a familiar face as a potential answer.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Colts will host Philip Rivers for a visit tomorrow. Ian Rapoport adds that Rivers would be considered for a practice squad gig, and for the time being, Riley Leonard will be Indy’s QB1. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that while the Colts are interested in seeing what kind of shape Rivers is in, the QB is still determining whether he’d even want to come back and play. At the very least, Rivers is intrigued enough to travel to Indianapolis for a workout. For what it’s worth, Dianna Russini of The Athletic says the Colts currently don’t have plans to bring any other quarterback in for a workout.

If you’re keeping track at home, it’s been a bit since Rivers has been on our radar. The long-time QB made his last NFL appearance during the 2020 season, when he started all 16 games for the Colts. He was still plenty serviceable during that age-39 campaign, as Rivers guided his squad to an 11-5 record while completing 68 percent of his passes for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He added another two touchdowns in Indy’s playoff loss to the Bills.

Rivers subsequently announced his retirement, but he’s still resurfaced as a potential option for QB-needy teams in recent years. He was open to joining the Saints late during the 2021 campaign, and the Colts also considered a reunion that season. There was even a chance Rivers made his comeback during Super Bowl LVII; the 49ers admitted that he was their top choice had they made it to the game (all of Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance, Brock Purdy, and Josh Johnson would have been sidelined). Rivers didn’t end up joining any of those squads, and he’s spent the past few years coaching high school football in Alabama. He seemed to put talks of a comeback to a rest this past summer when he inked a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Chargers.

Now, that long-awaited comeback may actually come to fruition with his last NFL team. Jones’ season came to an end yesterday, leaving the organization scrambling at the position. Anthony Richardson is uncertain to return this year, meaning the team may have no choice but to roll with Leonard. Even then, the sixth-round rookie is nursing his own knee injury (per ESPN’s Stephen Holder), potentially leaving Brett Rypien as the only healthy option in the organization.

Now 44 years old (today is actually his birthday), Rivers would certainly be an interesting choice to save the Colts once-promising season. The fourth-overall pick in the 2004 draft, Rivers helped guide the Chargers to six playoff appearances during his tenure with the organization. Only one of those appearances resulted in a significant run (when the Chargers lost to the Patriots in the 2007 conference championship), but Rivers did tally five playoff wins during his time with the team. He would represent the polar opposite to Leonard, who attempted only a pair of pass attempts before being forced into the lineup yesterday.

Considering his long layoff from the sport, Rivers probably wouldn’t even be considered if it wasn’t for his relationship with Colts head coach Shane Steichen. The two had a long stint working alongside each other during their respective stints with the Chargers. Steichen worked his way up to QBs coach in 2016, a role he held for three-plus seasons before earning a promotion to offensive coordinator.

To put this potential move in perspective: Rivers is currently a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His potential comeback would surely add an unexpected wrinkle to that endeavor.

Jets Have Contacted Only Chad Henne, Colt McCoy; Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Recovery

September 17th, 2023 at 10:06pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jets are 1-1 and reeling from Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles injury, which ended the future Hall of Famer’s season after four snaps and thrust Zach Wilson back into the starting lineup. We heard in the immediate aftermath of the Rodgers news that New York was exploring the free agent market for veteran passers and had inquired on retired QB Chad Henne.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) confirms that the Jets have indeed reached out to Henne, who has rebuffed their overtures. “The timing doesn’t work,” Henne said.

Gang Green has also contacted Colt McCoy, who was released by the Cardinals on cutdown day and who was mentioned as a possible Jets target several days ago. McCoy, 37, indicated that he has several offers in hand and expects to sign with a club shortly. He had been dealing with an elbow injury, though he should be ready to play this week.

The Jets told both Henne and McCoy that if they were to sign with the team, they would be doing so with the understanding that Wilson is the starter. As a team source told Russini, “[w]e have Zach. Zach Wilson is our best option.”

Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was pleased with what Wilson was able to do when he was forced to enter the team’s Week 1 contest against the Bills in relief of Rodgers, and Hackett was also impressed by the progress Wilson made throughout the spring and summer. Wilson appears to have earned the trust of the locker room, with another team source telling Russini that Wilson’s character is “off the charts.” The team has changed “about half of the game plan” to play to Wilson’s strengths, including an overall simplification of the offense.

The organizational view on Wilson explains why, as Russini reports, the Jets have no plans to pursue a more accomplished signal-caller like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, or Joe Flacco (Blake Bortles is reportedly not under consideration either). As Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report, Brady’s purchase of a stake in the Raiders is not yet finalized and is unlikely to be finalized until October at the earliest. Until then, Brady can techincally sign with any team he chooses, but as we noted previously, he continues to insist that he will remain retired.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com suggests that the Jets, who have the league’s most difficult strength of schedule over the next five games, could reassess the situation over their Week 7 bye. If they are still in playoff position but feel Wilson is holding them back, they could expand their QB search at that time.

Rodgers, of course, has not closed the door on an in-season return. The reason for such optimism, as Rapoport and Pelissero explain in a separate piece, is that Rodgers underwent an innovative surgery to accelerate the rehabilitation process.

The NFL.com duo, building on an earlier report from Russini and The Athletic colleague Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required), say that a type of internal brace called a “speed bridge” was placed on Rodgers’ torn Achilles. The procedure, which was performed by well-known orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, could allow Rodgers to be back on the field right around the time the postseason begins.

The procedure does involve risk, but Rodgers determined that the possibility of helping his new club make a playoff run this season was worth taking a chance. The 39-year-old (40 in December) could also receive platelet-rich plasma injections to move his recovery along.

49ers Notes: Rivers, Williams, Darnold

August 10th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Had the 49ers beaten the Eagles in the NFC championship game, there’s a good chance Philip Rivers would have been under center for the team during the Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much today, saying the organization planned to sign the retired quarterback had they won that game (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle).

Despite having not seen the field since the 2020 campaign, the 41-year-old quarterback was in the team’s contingency plan towards the end of the postseason. With Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance out of the picture, the 49ers rolled into the NFC championship game with Josh Johnson as the top backup to Brock Purdy. Both Purdy and Johnson were injured in that contest, and that would have forced the team into figuring out a fifth option at the position.

“(Rivers) was prepared to (play),” said Shanahan. “It’s stuff we talked about through the whole year. We would have seen how that was for the Super Bowl. That was the plan for most of the year.”

As Branch notes, Ben Roethlisberger admitted that the 49ers had reached out to him about joining the team, but the quarterback wanted to stay retired. Rivers, however, sounds like he was willing to return to the field for a chance at a Super Bowl ring.

When we last saw the long-time Chargers QB, he was manning the position for the Colts, guiding the team to an 11-5 record while tossing 24 touchdowns vs. 11 interceptions. Since calling it a career following that 2020 campaign, Rivers has served as a high school football coach in Fairhope, Alabama.

More notes out of San Francisco…

49ers wideout and return man Ray-Ray McCloud broke his wrist at practice earlier this week, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic (on Twitter). The 26-year-old will undergo surgery and will likely miss the first two months of the season. McCloud joined the 49ers last year, and he finished the season averaging 23 yards per kick return and 10.8 yards per punt return. He also added 14 receptions and a touchdown on offense. As Barrows notes, Ronnie Bell, Willie Snead, and D’Shawn Jamison will be competing to take over the ST snaps with McCloud sidelined.
Trent Williams is entering his 13th NFL season, including his fourth with the 49ers. While 2023 will mark the lineman’s age-35 campaign, Williams doesn’t have any thoughts of hanging up his cleats. “No I don’t. Because I still feel the same,” Williams told ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “Every year, I come back and I’m literally on the edge of my seat until that first practice, because I just don’t know. I can train as hard as I want and feel good, but I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of guys fall off, hit that wall, and I just don’t know when it’s coming. So I kind of go in scared in a sense, and as soon as I get out and move around I feel like, ‘All right. This year I’m good. I haven’t started slowing down yet.’ At the end of the day, I’m 35. I understand I don’t have another 10 years. But what’s the point of thinking about when it’s going to stop? It doesn’t help. I think once it’s time, it’s time, and you will know. But for me, just because I’m 35, I don’t think I should be thinking about retiring.”
Shanahan told reporters that the 49ers had interest in Sam Darnold during the early stages of their 2018 draft evaluation (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner and Jeremy Fowler). The organization ended up trading for Garoppolo during the 2017 campaign, and Darnold went third-overall to the Jets in the following year’s draft. The 49ers were eager to bring the now-veteran QB on board this offseason, and the organization is convinced that Darnold was previously “harmed more by his circumstances than his ability.” Darnold was also eager to join an organization that could maximize his skills. “Being in a really good organization was a priority for me,” Darnold told reporters. “Being with really good coaches and really good personnel as well. Those were kind of the top things.”
The 49ers announced a number of front office changes, including the promotion of Jeff Diamond to Senior Manager, Salary Cap and Hayden Frey and Crowley Hanlon to area scouts. The organization also officially announced the addition of Frank Gore to the front office, with the former running back earning the title of Football Personnel Advisor.

Colts Rumors: Saturday, Ryan, Fields, Rivers

November 9th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Colts made headlines on Monday when the team decided to fire head coach Frank Reich, naming former center Jeff Saturday the interim head coach for the rest of the year. The decision to appoint Saturday drew widespread surprise as Saturday has no former NFL coaching experience.

Team owner Jim Irsay defended the decision even claiming that Saturday could remain head coach beyond the 2022-23 NFL season, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. General manager Chris Ballard claimed that the Colts attempted to bring Saturday into the league coaching circle in 2019 as an offensive line coach and approached him about a position this year, as well. Saturday has reportedly served as a consultant for the team, with Irsay contacting him as recently as Sunday during the team’s loss to the Patriots to inquire about blocking issues, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

Here are a few other rumors concerning the Colts:

In response to former Colts head coach Tony Dungy‘s recent accusations that the team benched starting quarterback Matt Ryan in order to stay within the boundaries of an injury guarantee in Ryan’s contract, Irsay attempted to set the record straight, according to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Irsay insisted that there are no playing time guarantees in Ryan’s contract. “There’s no such thing,” Irsay claimed. “There’s no bonus if Matt plays a certain amount of time.” If such an incentive does exist, it has not been reported.
Mishandling the revolving door of quarterbacks in Indianapolis was a factor that led to Reich’s dismissal, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer posits that, instead of going after former quarterback Carson Wentz, the team should have moved up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, something he reports “was a very real consideration for Ballard and Reich early in the process.” The team instead selected Michigan pass-rusher Kwity Paye, allowing the Bears the opportunity to move up and select Fields. The Colts would later trade Wentz away to Washington after one season.
One of the other quarterback situations that didn’t work out in the long run for Indianapolis was the signing of Philip Rivers in 2020. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Ballard signed Rivers expecting the veteran to lead the team’s offense for multiple years. Although Rivers did take the Colts to the playoffs, he retired after one season with the team, leading the Colts to make more moves for Wentz and, eventually, Ryan in the years to follow.

Load More Posts