Could Chargers have stopped Philip Rivers from signing with Colts?

Los Angeles Chargers great Philip Rivers is back and set to start for the Indianapolis Colts this weekend.

There are droves of interesting storylines around a 44-year-old potential Hall of Fame quarterback coming out of retirement to pick at, especially since he hasn’t taken a snap in the NFL since 2020.

But perhaps the most notable is the fact the Chargers currently sit in a direct fight with Rivers’ Colts for an NFL playoff spot.

Maybe even more interesting than that?

There’s a conversation worth having about Rivers’ recent one-day retirement contract with the Chargers and its impact on his ability to even join the Colts for this playoff pursuit.

Chargers’ contract with Philip Rivers, impact on Colts signing

Colts QB Philip Rivers: "Shoot, I watch the Colts and the Chargers every Sunday-about every snap. And I watch about every game there is." pic.twitter.com/uI8KVMieSw
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) December 10, 2025

The Chargers signed Rivers to a one-day retirement contract last summer. Rivers was, after all, well over the age of 40, hadn't played in four years and was on his way to Hall of Fame candidacy.

But according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, that one-day contract for Rivers and the Chargers was ceremonial.

At the time of the signing, the Chargers had 90 players under contract. A real contract with the Chargers would have moved Rivers to the reserve/retired list. The Chargers then “releasing” him after the trade deadline would have exposed him to the waiver wire.

Florio tacks on this idea:

“That doesn’t mean anyone would have claimed him. But it would have slowed things down — and it also would have given the Chargers the ability to slam the brakes on the process, forcing him to potentially unretire with the Chargers before being released through waivers.”

Derwin James on his former Chargers teammate Philip Rivers possibly coming out of retirement to play for the Colts pic.twitter.com/iW4z4xKTFj
— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) December 9, 2025

Would the Chargers be so petty in this hypothetical scenario? Probably not. They’re more than happy with Justin Herbert and Rivers wasn’t viewed as much of a threat to come back, let alone have a say in the playoff race. One of the other 31 teams suffering a quarterback injury to swing this door open on a Rivers return isn’t something the Chargers would’ve ever considered.

Yet here we are. The Chargers lost to the Colts back in Week 7, so Rivers’ team has the head-to-head tiebreaker if the two teams collide in the standings at season’s end.

Maybe in hindsight, the Chargers play this a little differently. There’s something to be said for not letting Rivers go and possibly boost a direct playoff contender’s team at the most important position in sports.

When this is all said and done, Rivers’ clock on the Hall of Fame resets. And the Chargers might bring back Rivers on another one-day retirement deal.

Maybe next time it won’t be ceremonial. Just in case.

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