Colts reportedly made this practice schedule change with Philip Rivers in mind

A desperate Indianapolis Colts side brought Philip Rivers out of retirement by agreeing to add the 44-year-old quarterback to their practice squad on Tuesday. 

Almost immediately after news of that move went public, reports surfaced claiming that head coach Shane Steichen wants to start Rivers when the 8-5 Colts play at the 10-3 Seattle Seahawks this coming Sunday. For a piece published on Wednesday morning, James Boyd of The Athletic shared how the Colts plan to get Rivers ready for his first in-game action since he played for Indianapolis during the 2020 season. 

Shane Steichen knows Philip Rivers needs all the reps the signal-caller can get

"Before adding Rivers," Boyd explained, "Indianapolis was scheduled to have a walkthrough Wednesday, followed by practices Thursday and Friday. Steichen has often chosen to scale back this time of year to keep his players fresh. However, after Rivers agreed to join the Colts, the team’s schedule was updated to include a Wednesday practice so that Indy would have a full three-practice week. I can think of a good reason that the change was made, and it likely has to do with the quarterback who hasn’t taken an NFL snap in five years needing a few reps."

Rivers became the Colts' break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option because starter Daniel Jones (torn Achilles tendon) and first-choice backup Anthony Richardson Sr. (orbital fracture) are sidelined indefinitely. Rookie Riley Leonard is considered week-to-week with a strained knee ligament, and journeyman Brett Rypien is a 29-year-old with four regular-season starts on his career resume. 

Who did Colts pass on for Philip Rivers reunion?

"One option the Colts bypassed was signing Sam Ehlinger off the Denver Broncos’ practice squad," Boyd pointed out. "Indianapolis drafted Ehlinger in the sixth round in 2021. He started three games for the franchise in 2022, going 0-3 with three TDs against three picks, before joining the Broncos in free agency earlier this year. But seeing as Ehlinger, who is familiar with Steichen’s offense, would need to immediately join the Colts’ active roster, whereas Rivers offers more flexibility as a practice squad member, Indy stood pat because Leonard’s knee injury is expected to be more short-term than long-term."

Rivers is also familiar with the Colts offense from when the veteran had Steichen as his offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers. All signs point to Rivers now being asked to save the season for a Colts team that trails the 8-5 Houston Texans in the battle for the AFC's final wild-card playoff spot. Houston beat Indianapolis back in Week 13.