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Philip Rivers retired after playing for the Colts in the 2020 NFL season(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\nBuild 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<\/p>\n
21:17 ET, 08 Dec 2025Updated 21:17 ET, 08 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
Philip Rivers retired after playing for the Colts in the 2020 NFL season(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Monday Night Football crew could not hide their sheer disbelief at the news that the Indianapolis Colts were checking in on Philip Rivers.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Jones’ torn Achilles shut down an MVP-caliber campaign, according to NFL fans and Eli Manning<\/a>, 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.<\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE: Philip Rivers’ comments on NFL retirement as astonishing Colts comeback arises<\/a>READ MORE: Troy Aikman makes ESPN retirement comment and feelings on Joe Buck known<\/a><\/p>\n Jones<\/a>‘ 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.<\/p>\n Inexplicably, the 8-5 Colts<\/a> \u2014 desperate to stay alive in the hunt for the postseason \u2014 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rivers retired fifth all-time in passing yards and touchdowns, and is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in modern NFL<\/a> history. But when Adam Schefter revealed he was in talks with the Colts, the Monday Night Football pregame show reacted accordingly.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> said: \u201cI love Philip Rivers as much as anybody, but I was going to say… I can\u2019t imagine being out of the game for five years and coming back at 44 years old. I can\u2019t imagine that happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up to our NFL newsletter here<\/a><\/p>\n Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n