Philip Rivers He does not hesitate when he evaluates his return to the NFL. At 44 years old, the veteran quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts He assured this Monday that he does not regret coming out of retirement, even though his return resulted in three consecutive defeats for the team at the end of the season.
“I told them I wouldn’t regret coming back and I don’t regret it.. Beyond not having won, it has been a fantastic three weeks. All I can say is that I would do it again and again. “It has been incredible,” said the quarterback, convinced that the experience was worth it beyond the results.
Rivers had officially retired in January 2021, after the end of the 2020 campaign, after a 17-season career in the NFL. During that extensive journey he established himself as one of the great figures of the Chargers and closed his career with a final year in Indianapolis, before hanging up his helmet.
His return took place on December 8, a special date, since that day he turned 44 years old. The Colts contacted him urgently due to injuries to Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson, the team’s two main quarterbacks, in addition to Riley Leonard, who was listed as the third option. Faced with this scenario, the franchise turned to Rivers’ experience.
Performance, self-criticism and a closing with a competitive sense
The eight-time Pro Bowler did not hesitate to accept the call, even though his decision meant leaving the list of semifinalists for the Hall of Fame and restarting the five-year waiting period that retirement requires to be eligible. Even Rivers himself acknowledged that it would have been crazy not to attempt the challenge of taking the Colts to the playoffs, a goal that ultimately did not materialize, although his performances were better valued than many expected.
In his three games, he completed 63 percent of his 92 pass attempts, racked up 544 yards, threw four touchdown passes and suffered three interceptions in losses to the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Last Sunday, against Jacksonville, he had his most discreet performance. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 147 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, in addition to being sacked twice. After that meeting, he was self-critical. “This was probably the worst game I’ve played out of the three. I just couldn’t find the timing or the rhythm,” he admitted.
With the Colts no longer mathematically likely to advance to the playoffs, Rivers rejected the idea that the final game of the season, next Sunday against the Houston Texans, is of no importance. “To say that a game is unimportant is not in my DNA. Those games we played in the backyard when we were 10 years old were not unimportant, right? No one cared about them, but you went home crying if you lost, or you went home happy if you won. Everything we do matters,” he stressed.
Once the campaign is over, Philip Rivers plans to return to Fairhope, Alabama, to resume his role as coach at St. Michael Catholic School, the same one he occupied before answering the unexpected call from the Colts and returning, for a few weeks, to the highest level of American football.
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