‘There is doubt and it’s real’ – Chicago Tribune
SEATTLE — Philip Rivers fought back tears as he thought about the message it would send to his sons, or the young men he coached, that he nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to victory at age 44.
“There’s doubt and it’s real,” Rivers said, choking up briefly. “The safe bet is go home or don’t go, and the other is, ‘Shoot, let’s see what happens.’ I hope that in this sense, it can be positive for certain young boys or young people.
Rivers ended a nearly five-year retirement to start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and played effective football for the desperate Colts, who looked to the future Hall of Famer after Daniel Jones was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
He threw a first-half touchdown pass, played virtually error-free and put the Colts in position for Blake Grupe’s 60-yard field goal with 47 seconds left. But Jason Myers responded with a 56-yard field goal that gave the Seahawks an 18-16 victory.
It was a remarkable day for a grandfather who spent the last few years coaching high school football in his native Alabama.
Rivers took some tough hits from the Seahawks’ stout defense, and he even enjoyed them.
“It never bothered me,” Rivers said. “My wife always tells me I’m crazy because there have been times over the last three or four years where I’ve said, ‘I wish I could throw one and get hit – hard.'”
This was nothing new, as it may have seemed when the Colts signed the Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist to their practice squad less than a week ago. Coach Shane Steichen’s Colts, who started the season 7-1 but are trying to stop a second-half collapse, knew what they wanted from the veteran.
Rivers finished 18 of 27 for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception, the pick coming on his final pass as he tried to force the ball down the field in the final seconds.
“I was just grateful – grateful – to be there,” Rivers said. “And it was great – it was great – but obviously the emotions now are disappointing. It’s not about me. We have a team that’s fighting like crazy to try to stay alive and make the playoffs.”
The Colts (8-6) have lost four straight and five of six, and they are out of the AFC playoffs with three games remaining. They trail both Jacksonville and Houston in the AFC South.
Steichen called for conservative play, relying on running the ball and controlling the clock. Rivers was primarily throwing short passes to the outside, checks and screens.
“He went out there and gave us a chance to win,” Steichen said.
Rivers took two sacks and he showed his age on the first one. He stumbled while avoiding Boye Mafe’s pressure, got up and then fell again.
Rivers raised his right fist and let out a roar after throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Josh Downs with 1:33 left in the first half to give the Colts a 13-3 lead.
It was Rivers’ first touchdown pass since throwing a 27-yard pass to Jack Doyle in the Colts’ 27–24 loss to Buffalo in a wild-card playoff game on January 9, 2021. He also became the fifth player in NFL history to throw a TD pass at age 44 or older, joining Tom Brady, George Blanda, Steve DeBerg and Vinny Testaverde.
“It’s been 1,800 days since I’ve had a touchdown — or an interception for that matter. So we checked both of those boxes,” Rivers said.
Rivers was chosen last month as one of 26 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame class of 2026, but his eligibility will now be delayed. A player must be out of the league for at least five years before his application can be considered. Early Rivers may be candidates for the 2031 class.
He ranks among the top 10 in NFL history in wins, attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and 300-yard games.
Since retiring, he has coached at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where the team hosted a watch party Sunday. Rivers’ players were on his mind when he returned to the NFL.
“Maybe it will inspire or teach people not to run or be afraid of what may or may not happen,” Rivers said.
