Philip Rivers' Triumphant Return to Colts Labeled as Crazy

Philip Rivers coming out of retirement to play for the Indianapolis Colts was amazing, but also wild.

Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) calls signals during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

When NFL legend Philip Rivers came out of a five-year retirement to help the fledgling Indianapolis Colts at quarterback following Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles injury, it became one of the greatest stories in league history.

Not only did Rivers reset his Hall of Fame clock when he was a semifinalist, but he also played far better than anyone, including me, could have expected. While it was an awesome tale, it was also completely insane.

CBS Sports and Doug Clawson agree - listing Rivers' return to the Colts as the first entry in his 60 mind-blowing stats from the 2025 season. He also called Rivers' return to action 'the craziest' from 2025.

"Philip Rivers came out of retirement and played his first game in 1,800 days at age 44 as a grandfather. That is, hands down, the craziest happening of the season."

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) stands on the sidelines during the second half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Rivers' last action before retiring was leading the Colts to their most recent playoff appearance (2020 season).

That year, Rivers put up a respectable stat line of 369/543 completions for 4,169 passing yards, 24 touchdown tosses to only 11 picks through 16 games.

Following his retirement, Rivers became the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

Rivers was valuable and successful, and helped develop his son, Gunner Rivers, into one of the most sought-after high school quarterback prospects in the nation.

Life was all about coaching and retirement for Rivers, that is, until his former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Chargers, Shane Steichen, came calling.

Philip Rivers got emotional thinking about his kids & his HS team after playing for the Colts this season

Legend (📸 @espn) pic.twitter.com/LXiwdHNJYQ

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) January 31, 2026

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Rivers and Steichen had been in constant communication since his retirement, and it just so happened that Rivers ran the same offense at St. Michael Catholic as Steichen.

It wasn't just that Rivers couldn't pass up an opportunity to put on the pads again, but also that he could jump into action and not miss a beat.

Initially, the belief was Rivers would be destroyed, especially since his first game back was against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. The Seahawks are now the favorite to defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

However, Rivers looked comfortable despite not having the physical traits he used to. Rivers has never been mobile, so that wasn't anything new, but the concern was if he could operate with NFL defenses moving so quickly.

He answered that easily. While Rivers only put up 120 passing yards against Seattle, he dissected the defense at the line of scrimmage as if he never left the NFL gridiron and nearly led the Colts to an upset victory.

He'd follow that up with an impressive performance against the San Francisco 49ers in primetime and a respectable outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars before Indianapolis went with Riley Leonard due to being kicked out of playoff contention.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) meet on the field Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, after the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During his three games with Indy this year, Rivers completed 58/92 passes for 544 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. While he lost all three starts, it's hardly his fault.

Rivers' story of returning to help the Colts will go down as one of the best stories in sports, not just NFL history.

Once his son Gunner gets into college, don't rule out Rivers coming to the NFL as a coach in some capacity, especially considering the Buffalo Bills interviewed him for their head coaching vacancy before hiring Joe Brady.

Rivers deserves everyone's respect for trying to help Indianapolis when they were in dire straits. Initially some were questioning if Rivers should be a Hall of Famer.

After the incredible story he penned with the Colts in 2025, those inquiries should be buried, as he should be a lock for Canton when the time is right for the NFL legend.