Cam Newton Calls Colts’ Philip Rivers Signing a 'Slap in the Face'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Canale | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 6:00 AM ET

The news that the Indianapolis Colts were signing 44-year-old Philip Rivers to their practice squad came as a shock to many. Reactions varied, from concern about Rivers' physical well-being to Colts fans hoping Rivers still has enough left in the tank to pull the team out of its tailspin.

One particular reaction was quite unique. Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton commented on the news during his podcast, calling the fact that the Colts were willing to sign Rivers to the practice squad without contacting him “almost like a slap in [his] face.”

Newton and Rivers have both been out of the NFL for several years. Newton hasn’t officially retired, but he hasn’t been on a roster since 2021. Rivers was done after the 2020 season, ending that year with a three-point loss to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs — a very different ending from Newton’s, who went 0-5 in his starts for the Panthers in his final season.

In all fairness, Newton has a point. If the Colts were willing to bring a 44-year-old Philip Rivers — who has spent the past few years coaching high school football — out of retirement, why not reach out to the 36-year-old Newton?

There isn’t a clear reason why Newton wasn’t called, but there is for why Rivers was. Colts head coach Shane Steichen has experience with the veteran quarterback, having spent nine seasons with Rivers on the Chargers’ staff, including two as the team’s offensive coordinator.

This familiarity with the offense and head coach is an essential quality for a quarterback joining a team late in the season. Newton simply lacks that career overlap and knowledge of the system.

That’s not to say that the Colts’ gamble will work out well. Rivers is not a young man, and clips of him throwing during practice support that fact.

#Colts QB Philip Rivers with a longer throw. pic.twitter.com/b6V1lZEO8C
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) December 11, 2025

Despite the low chances of this experiment working out well for Indianapolis, they have no reason to roll over and say they’ll get ‘em next year. They traded their 2026 first-round pick to the New York Jets for Sauce Gardner, making the Super Bowl-or-bust move when they were 8-2 and leading the AFC playoff race. Since then, they’ve lost three of their last four games, their starting quarterback tore his Achilles, and the all-in move they made for the former Jets DB looks like a huge mistake.

So, maybe Rivers can go out there and win some games. Maybe he won’t. But one thing's for sure: if this attempt flops, Newton will have something to say about it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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