3 Reasons Colts Should Hire Philip Rivers as a Coach

Philip Rivers has the feel of an NFL coach. Who's to say the Indianapolis Colts shouldn't inquire?

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) stands on the sideline during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Philip Rivers coming out of retirement to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts is already a legendary NFL story.

After five years of retirement, Rivers came back to play the hornet's nest that is the Seattle Seahawks. Instead of being destroyed, Rivers dissected their defense, was accurate, and commanded the offense like a true field general of the highest degree.

Rivers isn't coming back next year after this brief stint, but there could be a future on the Colts' coaching staff for him if this team is smart and he's interested.

Let's get to the point - here are three reasons why the Colts should try to hire Philip Rivers...as their quarterback coach.

His Football IQ is Off the Charts

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) audibles against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven-Imagn Images

Arguably, one of the biggest reasons Shane Steichen wanted to bring Rivers out of retirement was because of his insane football brain.

Rivers hadn't played professional football in 1,800 days. However, he jumped directly into the fire against a very strong Seattle defensive front. Despite this, Rivers was sacked once.

This lack of getting sacked and struck is mostly due to Rivers making the adjustments and IDs at the line of scrimmage. Yes, Indy's O-Line is good, but Rivers almost can't move at all.

It was a masterclass of field general tactics from a man who was five years removed from this position. In short, Rivers can identify defensive coverage and blitzes better than most starting QBs in today's league.

Kyle Shanahan explains why 44-year-old Philip Rivers is better than most 22-year-old quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/8LNPm2oNJp

— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) December 18, 2025

The Colts should try to get in touch with Rivers once his son, Gunner Helm, concludes his run at St. Michael Catholic.

If Rivers can be away from the NFL for that long and mentally pick apart defenses at the line of scrimmage, that indicates he has the zenith of football IQ.

Rivers' mental approach and attention to detail would be a perfect fit for the Colts, who have had issues with the quarterback position for multiple reasons since 2019.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter

He's One of the Greatest Ever - and Has a Coach's Mentality

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, left, talks with quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during a second quarter timeout against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The Colts' current QB coach, Cam Turner, was initially a solid thought with the arrival of Anthony Richardson Sr.

The reason? Turner had previously coached Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals) and Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers). On paper, this looked like a beautiful fit.

However, Turner has been quite an underwhelming QB coach. Yes, Richardson's struggles aren't solely on the coaching staff, but the teachers of the game must shoulder the blame.

Rivers is not only one of the smartest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, but his resume also speaks for itself. Below are a few notable metrics, along with his all-time rank.

• Passing Yards - 63,560 (8th)
• Pass Completions - 5,295 (9th)
• Passing Touchdowns - 422 (6th)

The emotion from Philip Rivers. Nothing like it. pic.twitter.com/6tJ7DOhsdr

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

Just because a quarterback succeeded immensely in the NFL doesn't mean they can be a coach in the pros, but Rivers has also been coaching his own son's high school (St. Michael Catholic).

Not to mention, Gunner is already receiving offers from schools like South Carolina, NC State, Miami, Boston College, and Auburn. Gunner has the Rivers genes, but it shows that Philip can also coach the position and progress a talent.

Turner isn't the worst quarterback coach, but compared to what Rivers can accomplish, it's worth exploring a coaching change.

Turner's light workload of experience during his time at The Citadel pales in comparison to Rivers' resume and fire as a tutor.

The Colts Franchise Loves Him

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) walks to the locker room following the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The respect and admiration that the Colts franchise has for Rivers is strong. Rivers was the last quarterback to lead the Colts to the playoffs (2020) and was willing to come help during a time of desperation.

Rivers' ties to Steichen made the hire seamless and a perfect fit, but the relationship Rivers has with the Colts organization is also a part of the signing.

"I don't have any concern from the neck up, & I don't have any concern with making a throw, but the game's not routes on air."

"I'm not naive to the challenge that's ahead."

Philip Rivers sums up his decision to unretire--aware of his physical limitations, but fired up. #Colts pic.twitter.com/a9qNAgahmD

— Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) December 10, 2025

Rivers immediately had the locker room focused upon arrival. The awful injury to Daniel Jones against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14 essentially dashed morale for the entire roster.

Even after Jones went out, the backup Riley Leonard did his best, but then sustained a knee injury. This team was completely winded from a QB room suddenly riddled with injuries and no direction.

Rivers isn't going to shock anyone this year with athleticism or insane throws, but he doesn't need to for this team to get behind him like the gridiron general he is.

He's past his prime, but his leadership ability and experience were on full display against the Seahawks. He could easily translate this energy, efficiency, and leadership to coaching in the NFL.

The way Rivers gets teams to rally and fight is uncanny, and this type of quarterback coach is what the Colts need to properly instill confidence and results into a signal-caller.

The Bottom Line

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven-Imagn Images

Turner has shown he's decent, but not anything special as a quarterbacks coach during his time with the Colts.

Rivers is out on the field, adjusting the entire offense at the line of scrimmage to give it the best chance at success. The way Rivers' mind works is perfect for coaching NFL quarterbacks, and there's no chance Indy hasn't thought about this upon his return.

It's hard to peg when this could hypothetically happen, but if the Colts ultimately offer Rivers the QB coach gig, and he accepts, it should surprise nobody.