Philip Rivers has touching gesture to unlikeliest 49ers player in Colts’ sad loss

Philip Rivers didn’t get the win in his first home game back with the Indianapolis Colts, but he surely won hearts not only with his his play on the field, but his awesome gesture of sportsmanship with a San Francisco 49ers player after the game.

In his second game since returning after nearly a five-year NFL absence, the 44-year-old had quite the night throwing for 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

His family was there watching him as well and he waved to them before the game.

Heartwarming: Colts veteran QB Philip Rivers waving hello to his entire family of 10 before taking the field tonight.pic.twitter.com/SFWVkJerRP
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 23, 2025

It was quite the scene as the TV panned to his wife Taylor and his 10 kids going crazy after he threw a TD.

Rivers has now thrown for 397 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, but is 0-2 after losing at Seattle and 48-27 on Monday Night Football to San Francisco.

After the game, he had a touching moment where he waited for linebacker Dee Winters to congratulate him on his game-sealing pick six that Rivers threw.

I thought this was cool… After the game, Philip Rivers waited around for Dee Winters, who scored the pick 6 off of him, to dap him up & exchange pleasantries… pic.twitter.com/eXPhQMe0J8
— Omar Ruiz (@OmarDRuiz) December 23, 2025

That’s pure class right there and sets the right example how the game should be played. Rivers is now a high school coach in Alabama as his team has cheered him on in a really cool moment seen last week in his first game. What an example for them!

Here’s the play Rivers was congratulating Winters for.

Philip Rivers gets 6’ed.

Dee Winters with the pick 6, 75 yard return, the 49ers have dropped 48 points 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4XlwjUlA2a
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) December 23, 2025

Two games left in his NFL career?

Rivers hadn’t played since January of 2021 in a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, but now has come back for two starts.

Now, he will likely start the last two games in tough matchups with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, but no matter what he’s certainly won over everyone in the league with his play and respect for the game.

Philip River — Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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