INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� 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, knows he may have taken his last snap.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been an absolute blast for three weeks and if I go back now and said, 鈥楢ll right, now you know everything that鈥檚 going to happen, what are you going to do? I鈥檇 do it all again,鈥欌�� Rivers said after the Colts to Jacksonville. 鈥淪o, yeah, if it鈥檚 the last one, it鈥檚 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.鈥�
Rivers provided two elements the Colts (8-8) needed when they brought him out of a five-year retirement. 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 鈥� and the first in 30 years 鈥� to start 8-2 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 鈥� the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023 鈥� or rookie Riley Leonard. from the injured reserve list but has started practicing.
鈥淚’ll figure that out Tuesday,鈥� 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 in Fairhope, Alabama 鈥� where he’s the head coach 鈥� 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 鈥� 44 years and 26 days 鈥� 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 鈥� 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to be on board and supportive of whatever the organization, Shane and whoever, however that decision is going to come to be,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l have some conversation. It won鈥檛 just be a blind-side Tuesday conversation for me. And I鈥檓 going to be on board to do what鈥檚 best for the guys.鈥�
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