The Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Philip Rivers to the 53-man active roster on Saturday, and The Athletic reported he will start his first game in nearly five years in Seattle against the Seahawks.
Also Saturday, the Colts put tackle Braden Smith on the injured reserve list with a concussion and neck injury.
The 44-year-old Rivers has not played since January 2021, a long enough absence to become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was named a semifinalist in the 2026 class, but by being on the active roster for at least one game, he would not be eligible again for another five years from the time of his final game.
He came out of retirement this week as the Colts (8-5) find themselves in a dire situation at quarterback. Starter Daniel Jones is out for the season with an Achilles injury suffered last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and rookie backup Riley Leonard has a knee issue of his own. Veteran backup Brett Rypien also is in the organization.
Leonard was a full participant in practice the past three days and will back up Rivers, per The Athletic report.
Rivers spent the final season of his first career go-round with the Colts in 2020 following 16 seasons with the Chargers franchise. That season, he threw for more than 4,000 yards for the 12th time in 13 seasons, tossing 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the 11-5 squad.
Now a grandfather, Rivers has spent his time away from the NFL coaching an Alabama high school team and training draft prospects.
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Rivers ranks seventh in NFL history with 63,440 passing yards and sixth with 421 touchdown passes.
Coach Shane Steichen, with whom Rivers has had a long working relationship, said Friday that Rivers was “pretty impressive to watch” in practice.
The game Sunday would be the 241st straight that Rivers had started while on an active roster. That would be the longest among active players and second all-time for a quarterback, behind only Brett Favre and his 297-game streak.
Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons is next on the list among active players with 191.
–Field Level Media
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