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Philip Rivers Got Emotional After Making First NFL Start in Five Years

Philip Rivers and the Colts came up just short of a win over the Seahawks.

Eva Geitheim

Philip Rivers saw his first NFL action since the 2020 season.
Philip Rivers saw his first NFL action since the 2020 season. / Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
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On Sunday, Philip Rivers got the opportunity many retired players can only dream of. Nearly five years after calling it career, Rivers returned to the NFL and started for the Colts for the first time since the 2020 season.

With all three Colts quarterbacks dealing with injuries, Indianapolis called upon Rivers to take the reigns. There was plenty of uncertainty heading into the game with a 44-year-old who hasn’t played in years making his first start against a tough Seahawks defense, but all circumstances considered, he did a nice job filling in.

Related: How Philip Rivers Fared for Colts in First Start Since 2021

Rivers finished the game 18-for-27 for 120 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Colts called a conservative game plan featuring plenty of runs and short passes that ultimately gave them a chance to win. Unfortunately for the Colts, they left too much time on the clock after Rivers’s go-ahead field goal drive, allowing the Seahawks to record a game-winning field goal drive of their own to earn the 1816 win.

"It was a blast, but obviously now the emotions are disappointment,” Rivers said after the game.

One of the highlights from Rivers’s performance was his eight-yard touchdown toss, which had the high school team he coaches jumping and cheering—and perhaps even inspired.

“Certainly, I think of my sons and those ball players that I’m in charge of the school, that they’ll see, ‘Crap, coach wasn’t scared. The guaranteed safe bet is to not go for it. The other one is shoot let’s see what happens. I hope in that sense that it can be a positive to some young people,” Rivers told reporters after the game as he fought back tears.

“However this thing plays out, I'll be okay for having done it because I made that commitment and I'm just thankful,” Rivers said.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said he was “very encouraged” by Rivers’s play after the game. “For him to go out there and do what he did, after five years off, to have the chance to win it and get a game-winning field goal, close to it, with 40 seconds left and then, hostile environment against a top defense. Just shows his commitment to coming back and playing the way he did and fighting like crazy for his teammates. I thought it was pretty awesome to see.”

Now that he has his first start back under his belt, Rivers will look to help the Colts snap their four-game losing streak in the team’s upcoming games against the 49ers, Jaguars and Texans. The team’s playoff chances have narrowed amid their string of losses, but they will look to close out the season on a strong note and perhaps sneak their way into the postseason.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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