Philip Rivers, the Retirement That Wasn’t - and the Possibility That Still Lingers
Philip Rivers officially retired as a Los Angeles Charger this past July. That might sound strange considering he hadn’t taken an NFL snap since 2020.
But for Rivers, this wasn’t about stats or seasons - it was about the right moment. And for a man who spent 16 of his 17 NFL seasons in powder blue, it was about retiring with the team that defined his career.
“It’s really, in the past handful of years, been my desire [to retire] as a Charger. It was more so the timing,” Rivers said.
Chargers president of football operations John Spanos echoed that sentiment. “He made it known back then he wanted to retire a Charger, and I obviously expressed that we would love that to happen as soon as he was ready... He had to be ready to close that door.”
But how closed is that door, really?
Because here we are, in December, and Rivers - now 44 - is reportedly making a visit to the Indianapolis Colts. The same team he last suited up for in 2020. The same team that might be desperate enough to consider turning back the clock.
The Timing
Let’s talk about that clock. Rivers has ten children.
His oldest, Halle, was born in 2002. That’s the same year Colts center Tanor Bortolini - the guy who’d be snapping Rivers the ball if this reunion happens - was born.
Two and a half weeks apart.
There are ten players currently in the NFL who weren’t even alive when Rivers was drafted in 2004. He’ll see one of them - Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. - in Week 17. Another, 49ers edge rusher Mykel Williams, could be in the building in Week 16, though he’s currently on injured reserve.
And here’s a stat that’ll make you do a double take: Rivers’ daughter Halle has a son. That’s right - Rivers is a grandfather.
He and his wife Tiffany welcomed their tenth child, Andrew, in 2023 - the same year Halle had her son. If Rivers suits up, he wouldn’t be the NFL’s first grandfather to play in a game.
That honor belongs to Brett Favre, who did it back in 2010 at age 40. But still, it’s a rare club, and Rivers would be walking into it with cleats on.
Then there’s the age factor. The oldest active player in the league right now is Aaron Rodgers, who just turned 42.
Rivers is nearly two years older. If he plays, he’d tie with Vinny Testaverde and Warren Moon as the tenth-oldest player to ever appear in an NFL game.
If you take kickers out of the equation, he’d be tied for fourth with Moon and Testaverde - behind only Tom Brady.
So yes, on paper, this seems like a long shot. Rivers hasn’t played in five years.
He’s been busy coaching high school football at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama, where his son Gunner - a four-star QB prospect - plays under center.
Their season ended in the Class 4A semifinals after a loss to Jackson, just after Thanksgiving.
But does anyone really believe Rivers has walked away from the game entirely? This is a guy who once said the noise at Arrowhead and Mile High didn’t feel much different than what he heard in his backyard in Decatur.
You think he’s not still out there slinging passes to Gunner? You think the fire’s gone?
It doesn’t look like it.
The Possibility
Back in July, Spanos mentioned that Rivers’ competitive fire still burned. That the “possibility” of playing again might still exist. Turns out, that wasn’t just lip service.
Remember the 2022 49ers? Kyle Shanahan confirmed that if San Francisco had beaten the Eagles in the NFC Championship, Rivers was their emergency plan for the Super Bowl. That’s right - two years after his last NFL snap, Rivers was still on the radar for a team with a championship-caliber roster.
And it wasn’t a crazy idea, given the situation. Trey Lance had broken his ankle.
Jimmy Garoppolo was out with a foot injury. Brock Purdy, the rookie sensation, tore his UCL on the opening drive against Philly.
Josh Johnson came in, got concussed, and suddenly the 49ers were out of quarterbacks. Rivers was the backup plan to the backup plan - a veteran presence who could step in for one game if needed.
Fast forward to now, and the Colts are in a similarly desperate spot. Their quarterback room is thin.
Post-trade deadline, the market is barren. And if you're not excited about names like Taylor Heinicke, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Ben DiNucci, Nate Sudfeld, Tim Boyle, or even a younger flier like Jason Bean or Desmond Ridder… well, you're not alone.
So, is it really that wild to consider Rivers?
He’s not just another veteran. He’s 5th all-time in passing yards and touchdowns.
He started 240 straight games - second only to Favre. He’s one of the most fiery, cerebral, and durable quarterbacks the league has seen in the modern era.
And while he’s never been to a Super Bowl, he came painfully close more than once.
Yes, the odds are long. Yes, he’s 44.
Yes, he hasn’t played in five seasons. But if the Colts believe there’s still some magic left in that right arm - and if Rivers believes it too - then maybe, just maybe, the book isn’t closed after all.
Because for all the talk of timing, what we’re really talking about is possibility.
And with Philip Rivers, that’s never completely off the table.