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12/28 18:06 CST Philip Rivers is happy he got 3 'bonus games' even if he's made
his last start for the Colts
Philip Rivers is happy he got 3 'bonus games' even if he's made his last start
for the Colts
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- Philip Rivers has made the postgame walk to answer tough
questions dozens of times over his previous 17 NFL seasons.
This time seemed different.
With the Indianapolis Colts having been eliminated from the postseason for a
fifth consecutive year even before Rivers and his teammates took the field
Sunday, the 44-year-old Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist knows he may
have taken his last snap.
"It's been an absolute blast for three weeks and if I go back now and said,
?All right, now you know everything that's going to happen, what are you going
to do? I'd do it all again,'" Rivers said after the Colts lost 23-17 to
Jacksonville. "So, yeah, if it's the last one, it's the last one. I thought the
last one was walking off the field in Buffalo (in January 2021), walking up
that tunnel and I was fine with that. I had tears those few days after that and
I was at peace with that being the last one. So, certainly, if it is (the last
one), I got three more bonus games that I never saw coming."
Rivers provided two elements the Colts (8-8) needed when they brought him out
of a five-year retirement. His passion energized the locker room after Daniel
Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon, and he gave the Colts a
chance to pull themselves out of a historic second-half swoon in which they
became just the sixth team since 1970 --- and the first in 30 years --- to
start 7-1 and miss the playoffs.
But Rivers has lost all three of his starts, with the Colts' overall skid now
at six games.
His late interception at Seattle ended the Colts' bid for a miracle rally. And
an interception Sunday on a tipped ball allowed the Jags (12-4) to kick the
tiebreaking field goal with 6:58 to play.
While Rivers took accountability for both miscues with his typical down-home
demeanor, he knows he's not the face of the Colts' future.
So with one meaningless game remaining next weekend at Houston, the Colts could
give Rivers one more start, but it might make sense for them to take a look at
Anthony Richardson --- the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023 --- or rookie Riley
Leonard. Richardson has not been activated from the injured reserve list but
has started practicing.
"I'll figure that out Tuesday," coach Shane Steichen said.
If Rivers' career is over, again, five years after he left the first time, he
has no regrets.
He rented a place in Indianapolis, moved his entire family back to Indy for the
final month of the season and brought dozens of players from St. Michael
Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama --- where he's the head coach --- to
Lucas Oil Stadium to watch his home finale.
In career start No. 423, Rivers surpassed Hall of Famer Warren Moon as the
fourth-oldest quarterback to start in the NFL. Rivers played at 44 years, 20
days; Moon was 44 years and eight days.
If he makes start No. 424, Rivers would pass Vinny Testaverde --- 44 years and
26 days --- as the third oldest, trailing only Steve DeBerg and seven-time
Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
Rivers ranks sixth in league history in TD passes with 425 and is eighth on the
career yards passing list with 63,984 --- just behind Matthew Stafford and 105
yards away from moving past two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger.
Rivers knows he may not get that chance.
"I'm going to be on board and supportive of whatever the organization, Shane
and whoever, however that decision is going to come to be," Rivers said. "I'm
sure I'll have some conversation. It won't just be a blind-side Tuesday
conversation for me. And I'm going to be on board to do what's best for the
guys."
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