The San Francisco 49ers are finally on the right side of the injury report - and that’s no small thing. After spending the early part of the season juggling a long list of key absences, the Niners have managed to get healthy and stay that way over the past few weeks. It’s a welcome shift for a team that’s been in survival mode for much of the year.
But while San Francisco stabilizes, their Week 16 opponent is trending in the opposite direction.
The Indianapolis Colts are reeling. Not only have they dropped three straight games - and four of their last five - but they just lost quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles tear.
It’s a brutal blow for a team that had been clinging to playoff hopes just a few weeks ago. Now, those hopes are on life support.
And when a team’s season starts slipping through its fingers, sometimes it turns to the unlikeliest of lifelines.
Enter: Philip Rivers.
Yes, that Philip Rivers - the 44-year-old quarterback who last played in the NFL during the 2020 season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rivers is signing with the Colts’ practice squad in the wake of Jones’ injury.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a publicity stunt or a ceremonial signing. The Colts are in desperate need of stability under center, and Rivers, while long removed from his last NFL snap, brings a level of experience and leadership that’s hard to find in December. He’s no stranger to this franchise either - Rivers started all 16 games for Indianapolis in 2020, leading them to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth before stepping away from the game.
Now, five years later, he’s back in the building.
For the Colts, the move is as much about necessity as it is about familiarity. Rivers knows head coach Shane Steichen’s system, and the locker room knows what he brings to the table.
He’s not the same quarterback who threw for 63,440 yards (seventh-most in NFL history) and earned eight Pro Bowl nods - but he doesn’t have to be. The Colts just need someone who can steady the ship.
Of course, there’s a ripple effect to all of this. If Rivers is elevated to the active roster and takes a snap this season, his Hall of Fame clock resets.
He was on track to be a first-ballot candidate in 2026. Now, that timeline gets pushed back five more years - assuming this is truly a one-time comeback.
As for the 49ers, they’re not overly concerned with what’s happening in Indy. Their focus is squarely on their Week 15 matchup with the struggling Tennessee Titans. But they’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the Colts’ next opponent: the Seattle Seahawks - a team still lurking in the NFC playoff race and a familiar thorn in San Francisco’s side.
If Rivers does end up starting for Indianapolis in Week 16 against the 49ers, it’ll be one of the most unexpected quarterback storylines of the season. But at this point, nothing feels too far-fetched in the NFL - especially in December, when playoff dreams and desperation collide.
For now, the 49ers are healthy, confident, and in control of their own destiny. The Colts? They’re hoping a 44-year-old gunslinger can turn back the clock - just long enough to keep their season alive.