Build up to Monday Night Football between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles was dominated by stunning news that the Indianapolis Colts could turn to Philip Rivers
21:17 ET, 08 Dec 2025Updated 21:17 ET, 08 Dec 2025
Philip Rivers retired after playing for the Colts in the 2020 NFL season(Image: Getty Images)
The Monday Night Football crew could not hide their sheer disbelief at the news that the Indianapolis Colts were checking in on Philip Rivers.
On Sunday, the Colts suffered a brutal 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC South showdown. But the defeat was particularly heartbreaking as Daniel Jones suffered a torn Achilles, taking the wind out of his exceptional bounce-back year in Indianapolis.
Jones’ torn Achilles shut down an MVP-caliber campaign, according to NFL fans and Eli Manning, and happened as the AFC South tide continues to shift. Now the Colts are confronting a quarterback room where every option is compromised by either injury, uncertainty, or inexperience. And Rivers has emerged as a surprising name, with the breaking news leaving the ESPN Monday Night Football crew visibly stunned moments after Jason Kelce was forced to weigh in on Travis’ Chiefs nightmare.
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Jones‘ 2025 production put him in the MVP chase after throwing for 3,101 yards, ranking seventh in the league, adding 19 touchdowns, just eight interceptions, and holding a 64.1 QBR that placed him ninth among all quarterbacks. His passing efficiency included a 68 percent completion rate and an 8.1 yards-per-attempt average.
Inexplicably, the 8-5 Colts — desperate to stay alive in the hunt for the postseason — have called Rivers to make a sensational comeback. The 44-year-old retired following the 2020 season, which he spent with the Colts after a 16-year run with the Chargers.
Rivers retired fifth all-time in passing yards and touchdowns, and is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in modern NFL history. But when Adam Schefter revealed he was in talks with the Colts, the Monday Night Football pregame show reacted accordingly.
Host Scott Van Pelt could barely contain his face, while Marcus Spears stared into the camera aghast. When asked if Rivers is genuinely a viable choice for the Colts, Troy Aikman said: “I love Philip Rivers as much as anybody, but I was going to say… I can’t imagine being out of the game for five years and coming back at 44 years old. I can’t imagine that happening.”
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“I want to see it!” exclaimed Jason Kelce. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m very excited to see it.”
Aikman then appeared to get behind the idea, adding: “We have Indianapolis coming up. I would love to be calling a game with Philip Rivers in.”
Rivers went 11-5 with the Colts in 2020, helping the team make the playoffs as a wild card. No Colts team since that 2020 squad has averaged more passing yards than the 253.3 per game produced with Rivers at the helm; he threw for 24 touchdowns on a 68 percent completion rate.
Aikman acknowledged that the Colts checking in on Rivers is not a massive surprise, given the team’s incredible record — and the fact that Jones’ injury could end the AFC South franchise’s season. He added: “Desperate times take desperate measures. They’re leaving no stone unturned.
“They’re doing everything they can, so I understand kicking their tires, and I’m sure they’ll put him through a workout to see where he is, and Philip is one of the best to have ever done it, but that’s hard.”
The Colts face the 10-3 Seattle Seahawks on the road in their next game on Sunday, Dec. 14.