Yes, it's happening: The Colts on Wednesday signed 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers to their practice squad.
Rivers played 17 years in the NFL with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2004-2019) and Colts (2020). Over 244 games (240 starts), Rivers completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 63,440 yards with 421 touchdowns; in NFL history, he's seventh in passing yards and sixth in passing touchdowns. Rivers is an eight-time Pro Bowler and threw for over 4,000 yards in 12 of his 15 seasons as a full-time starting quarterback, including in 2020 with the Colts (4,169 passing yards).
With the Chargers, Rivers worked closely with current Colts head coach Shane Steichen. Steichen joined the Chargers' coaching staff in 2011, and he worked closely with Rivers as an offensive quality control coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
Rivers also worked with current Colts quarterback Riley Leonard leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, in which the Colts selected Leonard in the sixth round. Rivers lives in Fairhope, Ala., which is Leonard's hometown; Rivers is the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School, and recently took the Cardinals to the third round of the Alabama 4A state playoffs.
Rivers earlier this year was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in his first year of eligibility. Rivers will maintain his Hall of Fame eligibility if he remains on the Colts' practice squad, but if he is elevated to the active roster for a game, his Hall of Fame clock (five years from the end of a player's career) will re-set and he will not be eligible again until the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2031.
The Colts have dealt with several injuries within their quarterback room this season. Starter Daniel Jones played through a fibula injury before sustaining a season-ending torn Achilles' against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, while backup Anthony Richardson has been on injured reserve since he sustained a fractured orbital bone in a freak accident prior to the Colts' Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Richardson will not be activated from injured reserve this week, Steichen said, while Jones was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
On Monday, Steichen also said Leonard is dealing with a knee injury.
Rivers will be available to participate in the Colts' practice on Wednesday. The Colts altered their practice schedule this week, swapping what had become a weekly walkthrough on Wednesday for a practice as they begin preparing for this week's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Colts on Wednesday made several other roster moves, including placing cornerback Charvarius Ward Sr. on injured reserve and signing kicker Blake Grupe and quarterback Brett Rypien to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
