The Indianapolis Colts are facing a storm of uncertainty, and two familiar voices-Bruce Arians and Jeff Saturday-aren’t exactly optimistic about what’s ahead.
On his weekly spot on The Pat McAfee Show, Arians didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on Philip Rivers potentially returning to lead the Colts again. While he acknowledged that Rivers might be in decent shape for a 44-year-old, Arians made one thing clear: being in shape and being in NFL shape are two very different things.
“I think he’s going to struggle,” Arians said, bluntly.
It’s a fair concern. Rivers, who last played in the NFL in 2020, has been out of the league for several years, and jumping back into the fray-especially in December, with playoff implications on the line-is no small task. The physical toll, the speed of the game, and the chemistry needed with teammates all stack up fast, especially for a quarterback trying to shake off rust in real time.
Jeff Saturday, another Colts mainstay turned analyst, echoed those concerns-though his focus was more on the long-term blow dealt by Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury in Week 14 against the Jaguars. Saturday didn’t mince words.
“I was nauseous watching it,” he said on First Take.
And for good reason. Jones’ injury could sideline him well into the 2026 season, depending on how his rehab goes.
That’s a brutal timeline for a team that’s already committed to him as a key piece of the future. Saturday called it “a massive problem” for the Colts, and it’s hard to argue otherwise.
This is a franchise that started the season hot but has since hit turbulence. Losing their starting quarterback for potentially all of next season only intensifies the pressure on a front office that’s already made some bold moves-most notably, trading their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the Jets for star corner Sauce Gardner. Gardner’s been battling a calf injury and hasn’t been the consistent presence they hoped for, adding another layer of uncertainty.
Saturday, with his deep Colts roots, couldn’t hide his frustration-or his pain.
“This is a devastating blow to the Indianapolis Colts who started so hot and were already in a spiral,” he said. “This is just fuel to a fire of implosion. As a former Colt who’s bled a lot with that Colts blue, I’m hurting for them.”
He even joked about the idea of calling up Tom Brady or Cam Newton-anyone who might be a bit “fresher” than Rivers-to help stop the bleeding.
“There’s gotta be somebody who’s a little fresher, in my opinion,” he said.
It’s worth remembering that both Arians and Saturday know this organization inside and out. Arians stepped in as interim head coach back in 2012 when Chuck Pagano was battling cancer and led the Colts to a 9-3 record and a playoff berth in Andrew Luck’s rookie season. That run helped launch Arians into a head coaching career that peaked with a Super Bowl win in Tampa Bay.
Saturday, of course, was the anchor of the Colts’ offensive line during the Peyton Manning era. He briefly returned to the franchise in 2022 as interim head coach after Frank Reich was fired, though that stint ended with a 1-7 record and a quick return to ESPN.
Both men have seen the highs and lows of Colts football. And right now, they’re seeing warning signs all over the place.
Between the uncertainty at quarterback, the long-term injury to Jones, and the high draft capital already spent on a player who’s not fully healthy, Indianapolis is staring down a critical stretch. If Rivers is indeed the answer, it’s going to take more than nostalgia to carry this team forward.
The Colts have talent, no doubt. But in the NFL, momentum is fragile, and right now, it's slipping through their fingers.