Philip Rivers, 44-year-old who recently became grandfather, to visit Colts for potential NFL return: reports

The Indianapolis Colts, desperate at the quarterback position after injuries to both Daniel Jones and backup Riley Leonard, are bringing in a retiree to potentially lead the way in a playoff race.

Philip Rivers, the former Colts and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback who turned 44 years old on Monday, will be hosted by Indianapolis on Tuesday for a visit, according to multiple reports.

Rivers would be considered for a practice squad position, NFL Network reported, as the rookie Leonard, who took over for Jones after he suffered an Achilles injury on Sunday, is considered the team’s starter moving forward.

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However, Leonard is reportedly dealing with a knee injury that could leave Brett Rypien as the team’s only healthy option heading into Week 15 against a tough Seattle Seahawks team on the road. Leonard is being considered week to week, according to reports.

ESPN added that, while the Colts will be evaluating to see if Rivers is in shape enough to play in the league, he is still determining whether he wants to make an NFL comeback. But he’s clearly thinking hard about it with a trip to Indianapolis.

COLTS’ DANIEL JONES SLAMS HELMET IN FRUSTRATION AS HE SUFFERS GRUESOME ACHILLES INJURY

Rivers last appeared in the NFL in 2020 when he started 16 games for the Colts. He was 39 at the time and certainly a serviceable option at the position after passing for 4,169 yards with 24 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Indianapolis went 11-5 that season before losing to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs.

Rivers ended up announcing his retirement after that loss to the Bills, though he remained in the rumor mill as someone who could come back. He was open to being the New Orleans Saints quarterback in 2021, and the San Francisco 49ers admitted he was their choice if they made it to Super Bowl LVII when Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson both suffered injuries during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

But Rivers remained in Alabama, where he coached high school football over the past few years. The Colts clearly came calling, though, after a disastrous Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

During the first quarter, Jones, who has been playing on a broken fibula, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and he was visibly frustrated as he slammed his helmet to the turf.

The Colts have now dropped into the bubble group of AFC teams hoping to get into the playoffs after losing three straight games since coming off their bye week.

Rivers, who recently became a grandfather, threw for 63,440 passing yards and 421 touchdowns with a 64.9% completion rate across 244 career games in the NFL. He also owns a 5-7 record in the playoffs.

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