INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers might have made the final start of his career on Sunday … a half a decade later than he thought it would come.
Rivers answered the Colts’ desperation call three weeks ago, gave it his best shot and played better than just about anybody expected, but Indianapolis was eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night, the Colts’ Hail Mary to Fairhope, Ala. finally falling incomplete.
Indianapolis started Rivers in Sunday’s 23-17 loss to Jacksonville because he’d gone through a week of preparation getting the No. 1 snaps in practice, but now that the Colts are eliminated, Indianapolis could turn to rookie quarterback Riley Leonard in the season finale against Houston, taking a look at a player the Colts drafted as a developmental backup.
“I’ll figure that out Tuesday,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said.
Rivers, the 44-year-old who has been one of the NFL’s best stories over the course of the last three weeks in a losing effort, has put the decision in the hands of Steichen and the rest of the Colts organization.
“I’m going to be on board and supportive of whatever the organization, Shane and however that decision is going to come to be,” Rivers said. “I’m sure I’ll have some conversation. It won’t just be a blindside Tuesday conversation. I’m going to be on board to do what’s best for the guys.”
Rivers turned in his worst start of the three on Sunday, completing 17 of 30 passes for 147 yards, one touchdown and one back-breaking interception that set up Jacksonville’s go-ahead field goal.
For the third consecutive game, though, the Colts had a chance, a place few expected them to be in any of those games after losing starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn Achilles tendon in the first Jacksonville game, forcing Indianapolis to break glass in case of emergency since backup Anthony Richardson has been unavailable for months due to an orbital fracture that has caused problems with his vision.
Calling Rivers, who hadn’t quarterbacked in the NFL since a playoff loss to Buffalo in January of 2021 ended his one season in Indianapolis, represented a last-ditch effort to save a season that began with a 7-1 start and more promise than any Colts season in a decade.
Ultimately, the Hail Mary fell incomplete. But it had a chance. Rivers completed 63% of his passes for 544 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions on his way to an 80.2 quarterback rating, proving his advanced knowledge of the game could overcome an arm that clearly struggled to make all the throws.
“Five years out, and coming out and battling, obviously very appreciative of that,” Steichen said. “Him coming out one last time and fighting like crazy – it was impressive to see. And him being in the locker room with the guys, his fight, his character, his passion for the game – inspirational to a lot of people, not just our players, but people around the world watching football. It was pretty cool.”
If the Colts go to Leonard, Sunday was Rivers’ last start in the NFL; Rivers made that clear after the game.
“If this is the last one, again, I told you guys I wasn’t going to have any regrets about coming back, and I don’t, other than us not winning,” Rivers said. “It’s been an absolute blast for three weeks.”
Rivers, like all competitors, wanted to win, to pull off the impossible and get Indianapolis into the playoffs.
Ultimately, he came up short, but it has still been an experience Rivers loved from start to finish.
“If I go back and say, now you know everything that’s going to happen, what’re you going to do? I’d do it all again. It’s been absolutely awesome. If it’s the last one, it’s the last one. I thought the last one was in Buffalo, walking out of that tunnel. And I was fine with that.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Was this Philip Rivers last game? What Colts QB, Shane Steichen said
Reporting by Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
