High School Coach, Grandpa Returns to NFL as QB

UPDATE Dec 9, 2025 12:37 PM CST

Quarterback Philip Rivers is back on an NFL team nearly five years after his last snap, reports the Athletic. The Indianapolis Colts, in dire need of a QB in the season's home stretch, signed the 44-year-old retiree to its practice squad after a workout on Monday. It wasn't immediately clear what the chances were that he might end up playing this weekend.

Dec 9, 2025 11:53 AM CST

The Indianapolis Colts are considering a surprise move to address an emergency quarterback need: bringing back retired NFL veteran Philip Rivers. ESPN reports that the 44-year-old—who last played in 2020—worked out for the team on Monday night. There's no word yet on whether he might suit up on Sunday, but if so, it would be his first NFL game in nearly 1,800 days—the third-longest gap between starts for a quarterback in league history.

• The need: The Colts are in a jam. They're 8-5 and on the cusp of making the playoffs, but starter Daniel Jones went down for the season with a torn Achilles, and backup Riley Leonard also is injured. Rivers played for the Colts before retiring, and his familiarity with the offensive scheme and his previous working relationship with coach Shane Steichen could make him a viable short-term solution.
• High school: Rivers is currently a high school coach with St. Michael Catholic in Alabama, per On3.com. A return to the NFL would echo the story of QB Terry Bridgewater, who went back to the league last year after a stint as a high school coach in Florida, notes Sports Illustrated.
• Gramps: Rivers, who has 10 children, recently became a grandfather, per USA Today. However, he wouldn't be the league's first: Brett Favre became a grandpa in 2010 when playing for the Vikings.