The Un-Retirement: Philip Rivers Puts Canton on Hold for Playoff Run

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This is indeed the story of the day! The Indianapolis Colts have signed the un-retired, 44-year-old Philip Rivers to the 53-man active roster from the practice squad, making him eligible to play in tomorrow’s Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Here are the key details and implications of this shocking comeback:

The Unprecedented Return

Activation Confirmed: The Colts officially signed Rivers to the active roster today (Saturday, December 13, 2025), a necessary move after initially signing him to the practice squad earlier this week.
Expected Starter: While Head Coach Shane Steichen was noncommittal earlier in the week, sources indicate that Rivers is expected to be the starting quarterback tomorrow against the Seahawks at Lumen Field, marking his first NFL start in nearly five years.
The Context: Rivers was brought in to address a dire quarterback situation following the season-ending Achilles injury to starter Daniel Jones and a knee injury to rookie backup Riley Leonard. The Colts, at $8-5$ , are desperately trying to stay in the AFC playoff race.

The Matchup

Opponent: The Seattle Seahawks (10-3), who are preparing to face a quarterback who last played in January 2021. Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged the challenge, saying, “If anybody can pull it off, it’s him.”
Coaching Connection: Rivers will be working under Shane Steichen, who was on the Chargers’ staff for much of Rivers’ career, meaning the quarterback is familiar with the foundational scheme of the Colts’ offense.

The 44-year-old grandfather and high school coach is now set to lead a team fighting for its playoff life, adding one of the most bizarre and intriguing chapters to the 2025 NFL season.

The Hall of Fame Consequence

Philip Rivers’ decision to come out of retirement and sign with the Indianapolis Colts has an immediate and dramatic consequence for his bid for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Per Hall of Fame rules, a player must be retired for at least five full years to be eligible for consideration. Rivers was a semifinalist for the Class of 2026 in his first year of eligibility, having last played in the 2020 season. By signing with the Colts’ active roster, the clock on his retirement is now completely reset. This means that Rivers will be removed from the current ballot and will not be eligible for induction until the Class of 2031, adding a five-year delay to his path to Canton. Rivers was transparent about his priorities, stating that the extension of his Hall of Fame time “was not a factor in my thinking,” confirming that the opportunity to help a playoff-contending team outweighed any personal legacy timeline.