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In a wild turn of events, it appears Philip Rivers will suit up in an NFL game for the first time in nearly five years.
Rivers just turned 44 earlier this week and recently became a grandfather, but after injuries to Daniel Jones and Riley Leonard, the Indianapolis Colts had almost no one to turn to.
It’s the best game the Colts could find since Rivers played for Shane Steichen and the Colts in 2020. So Rivers is familiar with the offense.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers drops back to pass Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, during practice at the Colts’ training facility in Indianapolis. (Image)
But it’s still been half a decade since he was in the league. So Warren Moon, who also played in the NFL when he was in his 40s, offered Rivers some advice.
“Trust your running backs. They have a great running back (in Jonathan Taylor) behind him that they can lean on, and their offensive line is going to have to play really well, really play physical to control the line of scrimmage and keep him out of long-yardage situations,” Moon told TMZ Sports.
“Because I think that’s where he’s going to hurt himself the most if he has to go with those, you know, third-and-8, third-and-9, third-and-10, where he might have to hold the ball a little longer than he wants to. And does he have the ability to escape to move in the pocket like he used to when he played, after being away from it for so long?”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers before playing against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild card game at Bills Stadium on January 9, 2021. (Rich Barnes/USA Today Sports)
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Moon admitted he was “alarmed” by Rivers’ return, considering the long layoff.
“He’s been out for five years, and even though he’s been in the game, he’s coached the game, he probably still talks about it with his old offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen, and all those guys. You just don’t know how his body is going to react coming out every day, the routine of practice, how his body is going to feel after a week of practice,” Moon said.
“Does he still have those fast-twitch muscles that are needed to go out and play this game, which he’s probably gotten a lot faster since he retired from the game five years ago? So those are the things that concern me as far as his reaction time and how he can get the ball out of his hand fast enough.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, during practice at the Colts’ training complex in Indianapolis. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The Colts started 7-1 but lost four of their last five, including each of their last three. They will head to Seattle to face the Seahawks and Rivers will likely try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
