The significant reason Philip Rivers may not sign with the Colts

The Indianapolis Colts‘ once-promising season has turned into an absolute nightmare. They may not even make the playoffs after winning eight of their first ten games. But Philip Rivers has already worked out for the Colts and it reportedly went well.

Losing Daniel Jones for the season has led to desperation. It’s reached a point where the Colts even reached out to a 44-year-old alternative in Rivers, who hasn’t played since January 2021. Five years after his retirement, he has an unexpected chance to make a comeback.

That speaks volumes about the caliber of options in free agency right now. More than that, Rivers has a major reason not to come back right now, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov.

Philip Rivers’ Hall of Fame eligibility is a problem for the Colts

“Philip Rivers was recently named a Hall of Fame semifinalist for the Class of 2026,” Meirov wrote. “If he returns and signs with a team, his Hall of Fame clock would reset — meaning he’d have to wait another five years before becoming eligible again.”

Philip Rivers on December 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Of course, that’s not to say that this would affect his Hall of Fame case in any way. If anything, it would be a nice story that could actually help Rivers‘ controversial legacy.

But after being away from the game for that long, it’s hard to believe his body will be ready to take that kind of beating. The Colts have a great offensive line, but if it didn’t work out the first time, it might not work this time later.