Teammates share what Philip Rivers has brought Colts amid shocking return

The 8-6 Indianapolis Colts need quarterback Philip Rivers to be more than just a good story amid his shocking return to the NFL if the Colts are to play beyond Week 18 of the ongoing season. 

For a piece published on Friday, ESPN's Stephen Holder shared how Rivers impressed his teammates with his play in the Colts' 18-16 loss at the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 14. 

Philip Rivers has given the Colts a chance to get where they want to go

"He gave us a chance," Colts running back Jonathan Taylor recently said about Rivers' performance at Seattle's Lumen Field. "We've just got to make more plays. We got to help him out. Given the circumstances, we still had a chance. I mean right there at the end. So, how do we make those one or two plays to just finish this and end up on the other side of this?"

Rivers hadn't played since January 2021, when he got a call from head coach Shane Steichen at a time when Indianapolis had no healthy quarterbacks on its active roster. Against the Seahawks, the 44-year-old signal-caller completed 18-of-27 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown that helped the Colts have the lead with under a minute to play in the fourth quarter. After Seattle's Jason Myers kicked a 56-yard field goal with under 20 seconds remaining, Rivers ultimately tossed an interception while attempting to produce a miracle.

Following the defeat, Rivers noted that his wife said he's "not normal" for wanting to "just throw one and get hit hard" during a meaningful game. Against Seattle, he took four registered hits and a sack.

Colts fired up by Philip Rivers' passion

"Just his determination, his passion, fire that he played with, it's great to see," Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II added about Rivers. "And just him putting his body on the line, he doesn't have to do that. And I'm sure every guy in his locker room greatly appreciated it."

The Colts trail the 9-5 Houston Texans in the battle for the AFC's final wild-card playoff berth. The Texans defeated the Colts in Week 13, and those teams will meet again at Houston's NRG Stadium in Week 18. 

Rivers is on track to start when the Colts host the 10-4 San Francisco 49ers this coming Monday night. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Indianapolis as a 5.5-point betting underdog for that game.