Head coach Shane Steichen confirmed Tuesday that Rivers will remain the Colts' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Jaguars, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
The Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention if the Texans beat the Chargers on Saturday, but Steichen confirmed that Rivers will continue to direct the offense regardless of the outcome of that contest. More specifically, Steichen said that it wouldn't be "fair" to ask rookie Riley Leonard to start on 24 hours' notice if Rivers takes first-team reps throughout the week, which he has been doing since signing with the Colts in Week 15. Though the Colts have suffered losses to the playoff-bound squads in the Seahawks and 49ers in Rivers' two starts, the 44-year-old has given Indianapolis some stability under center following Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles surgery. Rivers won't be part of the Colts' long-term plans, however, so if the team does get eliminated in Week 17, Steichen could entertain the idea of starting Leonard or third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson (orbital) -- if available -- in the regular-season finale against the Texans.
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Colts' Philip Rivers: Improves in second start
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Rivers completed 23 of 35 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Colts' 48-27 loss to the 49ers on Monday night. He also committed a fumble recovered by Indianapolis.
An extra week of practice following a five-year layoff did wonders for Rivers, who looked appreciably sharper most of the night as compared to his season debut against the Seahawks in Week 15. Rivers led a crisp nine-play, 72-yard drive to open the game that he capped off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce, and he followed it up with another 16-yard scoring strike to the fleet-footed receiver in the second quarter. Rivers' momentum slowed in the second half, but he did lead a 12-play, 65-yard march that culminated with a Jonathan Taylor one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The veteran signal-caller ultimately sealed the Colts' loss via a pick-six at the 49ers' 26-yard line with 3:26 remaining, but Rivers displayed impressive command of the offense while connecting with eight different targets overall. Indianapolis' quest for a wild-card berth gets another tough obstacle in Week 17, however, as the division-leading Jaguars pay a visit to Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon.
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Colts' Philip Rivers: Remaining starter for Week 16
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Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Rivers will draw another start during Monday Night Football against the 49ers in Week 16 on Dec. 22, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Rivers made his first start since January 2021 during Indianapolis' narrow 18-16 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday in which he completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception while losing five yards on his only carry. While the 44-year-old signal-caller's numbers were excessively modest, he piloted the Colts offense with prudence and kept the team competitive in a difficult road environment. He'll have an opportunity to build on that production at home next week versus a 49ers defense that's lost multiple key playmakers.
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Colts' Philip Rivers: Makes first start since 2020 season
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Rivers completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception while losing five yards on his only carry in Sunday's 18-16 loss to the Seahawks.
Rivers performed about as well as you could expect Sunday from a player coming out of retirement after nearly a five-year absence. The 44-year-old attempted short, safe passes while keeping the Colts competitive against a daunting opponent. Rivers was finally asked to take a shot down the field in the closing moments of the contest in order to get his club into range for a game-winning field goal, but he airmailed his target for his only interception. It was a valiant effort from Rivers given Indianapolis' desperate circumstances, but his game-manager style of play is unlikely to produce alluring fantasy numbers. That said, next Monday's matchup against San Francisco's depleted defensive unit presents a softer matchup for Rivers' second start of the campaign.
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Colts' Philip Rivers: Signed ahead of expected start
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The Colts signed Rivers off their practice squad Saturday.
The move puts Rivers on track to play Sunday against the Seahawks, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reporting earlier Saturday that the 44-year-old is expected to start in Week 15, while rookie sixth-round pick Riley Leonard serves as the backup. The Colts have yet to confirm that Rivers will start, but if he does, he would be making his first NFL appearance since Jan. 9, 2021. Rivers was a full participant in practice throughout the week after the Colts signed him to their practice squad Wednesday.
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Colts' Philip Rivers: Week 15 starting QB TBD
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Colts head coach Shane Steichen noted Friday that a decision on who will start at QB in Sunday's game against the Seahawks (between Rivers and Riley Leonard) has yet to be made, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
"We're working through that," Steichen said Friday of the team's Week 15 QB plans. Per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com, Rivers has looked good and moved around well during practice, while Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis relays that Leonard took some starting reps this week. For his part, James Boyd of The Athletic believes that Rivers will get the nod, a notion put forth by Holder on Thursday. In any case, in order for Rivers to be available as either a starter or backup versus Seattle, he must first be elevated from the Colts' practice squad ahead of Saturday's deadline.
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Colts' Philip Rivers: Officially joins Colts' practice squad
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Rivers officially joined the Colts' practice squad Wednesday, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
Rivers, who had retired after the 2020 season, bolsters a Colts QB corps that has been hit hard by injuries. Daniel Jones is out for the season with an Achilles' injury, Anthony Richardson (orbital) remains on IR, and Riley Leonard is dealing with a knee injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks. For now, Brett Rypien is the healthiest option on the team's active roster, but Stephen Holder of ESPN.com relayed Wednesday via coach Shane Steichen that Rivers will be evaluated as the week progresses, with Indianapolis' Week 15 QB plans yet to be determined.
