Philip Rivers confirmed that his NFL career will be over once the Indianapolis Colts' season ends this weekend. The 44-year-old came out of retirement a month ago after the Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending injury.
It may have only lasted three weeks, but Philip Rivers' return to the NFL at 44 years old, after a five-year hiatus, is something NFL fans will remember for a while.
For a team eliminated from the playoff race, the 8-8 Indianapolis Colts sure know how to keep attention on themselves. The team is making a QB change by sending Philip Rivers to the bench in favor of a younger option at the position.
Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the current Colts’ regime plans to re-sign QB Daniel Jones in the spring and hope for a quick recovery with the belief he can be their long-term quarterback.
Philip Rivers largely impressed (considering expectations) during his three-game return to the NFL. After attempting to rescue the Colts’ season late in 2025, though, he will not continue his comeback into next year.
Rule changes have made passing numbers easier to compile in the modern era, and the game's top quarterbacks have taken full advantage. While the heaviest hitters are represented here, some storied postseasons by slightly lesser-celebrated QBs remain entrenched in playoff annals as well.
Jones was viewed by many as a legitimate regular-season MVP candidate before he attempted to play with a reported fracture in his fibula and before he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon on Dec. 7.
The Indianapolis Colts’ 2025 season will be remembered for two things. First, Philip Rivers’ shocking return, and second, how they began and the brutal unraveling that followed.
Playoffs are officially off the table for the Indianapolis Colts as they head to NRG Stadium to close out the 2025 season. After three games of the legendary Philip Rivers leading the Colts' offense, rookie QB Riley Leonard will get his first career start against a terrifying Houston Texans defense.
The 2025 season for the Indianapolis Colts has been one of fantastic performances, breakout players, and resurgent careers. However, that was the first half.
The Indianapolis Colts fell to 8-8 after losing their sixth straight game on Sunday. While the Colts were already eliminated from the playoffs, Philip Rivers took the field in Week 17 for the team’s final home game of 2025.
For years, Thanksgiving belonged to the NFL, but Christmas belonged to the NBA. Occasionally, an NFL game would fall on Christmas, but it was anomalous, even avoided if possible.
Rookie sixth-round quarterback Riley Leonard gets his first start under center for the Indianapolis Colts against the Houston Texans on Sunday, a team riding an eight-game winning streak.
The Colts were surging through the middle of the season, but have collapsed to 8-8 and out of contention in the AFC South. Dan Graziano of ESPN writes that no one around the league seems to know the direction of Indianapolis and GM Chris Ballard after their late-season slide.
The 2025 season will come to a close for the Indianapolis Colts this weekend as they travel south to face the Houston Texans. The Colts have lost six straight games, and if they fall to Houston, they'll finish with an 8-9 record after sitting at the top of the AFC less than two months ago.
As far as the QB story for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, it's been all about two names: Daniel Jones and Philip Rivers. However, the Colts still have their 2023 fourth-overall draft investment, Anthony Richardson Sr., on the roster.
Per Ian Rapoport, the Colts have named QB Riley Leonard their starter for Week 18, with veteran QB Philip Rivers stepping aside as the team is officially out of playoff contention.
The season in Indianapolis flipped from optimism to uncertainty the moment Daniel Jones went down, and Adam Schefter’s read is that the Colts are still banking on bringing him back in 2026, believing he’ll be ready for the start of the season, which would make a Malik Willis-type pursuit less necessary.
The last three weeks have been quite the ride for the Indianapolis Colts. Philip Rivers has been the team's starter after being retired for the past five seasons.
When speaking after Sunday’s game, Philip Rivers reflected on his three-game return to NFL action. Since that point, signs have pointed to the Colts going in a different direction under center for Week 18.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. The Indianapolis Colts didn’t just watch their season end — they watched it slowly leak out, like air from a tire no one noticed was flat until the steering wheel started shaking.
It is honestly wild that when Sauce Gardner left New York for Indianapolis, the Jets were 1-7… and now, the Colts are also sitting at 1-7 since he arrived.
DeForest Buckner returned in Week 16, coming back after a lengthy absence. A durable player throughout his Indianapolis stay, the veteran defensive tackle will not play the rest of the way.