Philip Rivers makes shocking admission about coming out of retirement to play for the Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have brought back Philip Rivers. Now, the quarterback has answered the question many fans were asking: why did he decide to return to football at age 44?

On Wednesday, Philip Rivers addressed the media in his first press conference with the Colts following his return for the 2025 NFL season. He explained being able to compete againwas the reason behind his decision to come out of retirement and rejoin the league.

“I wasn’t hanging onto any hope of playing again. I kind of thought that ship had sailed,” Rivers said on press conference. “But something about it excited me. It’s one of those deals where a door opens and you either walk through it and find out if you can do it, or run from it. I know there’s risk involved, but the only way to find out is going for it.

“When that happened, in my mind, I was like, ‘What in the world?’ Just how crazy this would be on the quarterback position, I have to admit I thought,’I wonder if Shane will call’. Immediately, the competitor in you gets excited.”

Is Philip Rivers the best option for the Colts?

Indianapolis lost Daniel Jones to a serious Achilles injury that ended his season. The former Giants quarterback was having an outstanding 2025 campaign, and the Colts plans will clearly change now with Rivers under center.

Daniel Jones is a reliable dual threat quarterback. While he is not as mobile as Lamar Jackson, he was able to use his legs when needed, something the Colts will not get from Philip Rivers.

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Rivers has never been a mobile quarterback, and at age 44, that will not change. The Colts will now need to protect the veteran in the pocket as much as possible, since broken plays could create major issues for both the quarterback and the offense.

As Rivers himself mentioned, he was done with football. However, Jones injury, as unfortunate as it is, opened the door for his return. Still, it remains to be seen whether he is physically ready and whether he can guide the Colts to a playoff berth this season.

Age is not the problem; rhythm might be

Philip Rivers last played in the NFL during the 2020 season. While quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have shown that age is just a number, the key difference between them and Rivers is rhythm.

The former Chargers quarterback has stayed close to football since retiring, but that is not the same as playing every week. Because of that, it is fair to question whether he can quickly get into game shape and perform at the level the Colts need to stay in the playoff race.