Philip Rivers sends strong message to his Colts teammates following his return to NFL after retirement

One of the standout storylines of the NFL slate undoubtedly centered on what unfolded at Lumen Field, where the Indianapolis Colts took on the Seattle Seahawks. It was there that Philip Rivers officially returned to the field after a lengthy absence following his retirement, and the quarterback looked as sharp as ever.

Many may have believed the veteran was brought in simply to fill a limited role and help his teammates close out the season in the most respectable way possible. However, after a narrow defeat, Rivers’ competitive fire was on full display, delivering a clear postgame message to his teammates.

“If I can stay healthy, I feel good, and it is going to get better as we go,” he said to the press. “But the catch is that we’ve got to win. It doesn’t really matter if it’s getting better as we go if we don’t win because it’s going to be over in three weeks. So that’s the catch there. But it’s going to continue to get better. I mean, this is obviously the first one. We’re talking about three days of practice.”

Philip Rivers’ numbers in his NFL return

Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers recently stepped back onto the field for the Indianapolis Colts, delivering a respectable but measured performance in his latest return game. The 44-year-old completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 passing yards.

Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts.

His stat line included one touchdown pass and one interception, with the interception coming on a last-second, desperation heave. Despite the low yardage total, Rivers’ efficiency was decent, evidenced by a 66.7% completion rate, culminating in a 73.1 passer rating for the contest as the Colts narrowly fell short in a tough, low-scoring matchup.

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Colts still have playoff hopes

After falling in Week 15, the Colts dropped to an 8–6 record, but they are still keeping their postseason hopes alive. According to the NFL’s official website, their current chances of reaching the playoffs stand at 17% heading into Week 16.

In the AFC South, the Jaguars sit atop the division with a 10–4 record, followed by the resurgent Texans, who have won five straight to reach 9–5. In third place are the Colts, still fighting to stay in the playoff race.

Indianapolis’ final stretch

The Colts have three games remaining on their schedule and will need to win all of them to secure a Wild Card spot. The first comes at Lucas Oil Stadium against the 49ers. That will be followed by two pivotal divisional matchups: a home game against the Jaguars, before closing out the season at NRG Stadium against the Texans.