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Legendary Return of Philip Rivers Spoiled by Colts' Late Collapse

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers played far better than anyone expected against the Seattle Seahawks.
John Davis|
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
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

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in an 18-16 thriller that included two lead changes in the game's final two minutes.

Indy trotted out 44-year-old Philip Rivers at quarterback after the team lured him out of retirement earlier this week, following Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles injury.

The Colts entered Sunday's game as 13.5-point underdogs according to CBS Sports, the most a Colts opponent had been favored by since the 2017 season (Sports Odds History).

Sunday's game wouldn't suggest that Indy was viewed as nearly two touchdowns worse than Seattle. The Colts' defense shut down a league-best Seahawks offense all day, not allowing a single touchdown.

Rivers hadn't performed like he just walked into the building on Tuesday, either. He was 10/16 for 81 yards and a touchdown, as well as a 96.1 passer rating.

The touchdown pass from Rivers to receiver Josh Downs late in the second quarter gave the Colts a ten-point lead, their largest of the day. Downs' father, Gary, played running back at North Carolina State, the same college Rivers quarterbacked for in college.

Rivers was recently named one of 26 modern-era semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026, an honor he gave up when he decided to unretire and join the Colts this past Tuesday. The earliest he can now be considered is 2031.

Rivers finished the day relatively solid overall, posting 120 yards in the air on 18 completions across 27 total attempts.

For comparison, the presumed MVP, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, passed for just 130 yards on 15 completions across 28 attempts when facing the Seahawks earlier this season.

Indianapolis has lost four straight, and in three of the four games, the team either held a lead or had the ability to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

The Colts' playcalling has seemingly regressed, with or without Jones at the offense's helm.

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Early in the season, impressive victories over the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos were largely due to quality game management late in games.

That being said, eyebrows were raised when head coach Shane Steichen opted to run the ball and bleed the clock to attempt a 60+ yard field goal to win the game. A leverage penalty on Denver gave the Colts a second chance to win the game after the first kick fell far short.

Against Seattle, the Colts surprisingly approached a near-identical situation in the same way. Kicker Blake Grupe had been on the team for just two weeks, and his career-long was 57 yards.

With three timeouts, Steichen opted to once again bleed the clock at midfield with two runs and a quick pass, settling for an incredibly long field goal. Luckily for Indy, Grupe drilled the 60-yarder with 0:47 to play.

The time the Colts left on the clock left Seattle ample opportunity to drive down and kick the game-winning field goal, which kicker Jason Myers did from 56 yards out with 0:18 to play.

Rivers would sail an interception across the middle on the first play of the Colts' final drive of the game. Indianapolis scored just three points in the second half.

No matter how the loss is spun or who receives blame, appreciation for Rivers' rather solid performance with next to no true preparation received universal appreciation. His reaction following his first touchdown back was as good as it comes.

The 44-year-old became the second-ever grandfather to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL game, joining Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who famously unretired twice after his initial departure.

With a win, Rivers would've joined quarterbacks Tom Brady and Vinny Testaverde as the only passers to win a game at 44 years or older.

The inevitable Hall of Famer will likely receive another opportunity to earn his first win back on primetime next Monday night at home against the San Francisco 49ers.

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John Davis
JOHN DAVIS

John Davis covers the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts. He's currently pursuing a degree in Sports Media at the University of South Carolina. John also founded and operates Colts Report on Instagram, a big Colts Fan Page.

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