Philip Rivers: The Old Gunlinger’s Final Ride (Maybe, For Real This Time)

If Sunday was indeed the curtain call for Philip Rivers, it wasn’t the Hollywood ending anyone scripted. There was no confetti, no Super Bowl ring, not even a playoff berth to hang his hat on. Instead, it was a gritty 23-17 loss to the Jaguars a familiar foe in a familiar setting that slammed the door on the Colts’ postseason dreams.

However, if you strip away the scoreboard and the playoff scenarios, what remains is something far more interesting: a 44-year-old dad of nine who looked at a team in desperate need, shrugged, and said, “Hold my bolo tie.”

The unexpected return of “Dad”

Let’s be honest. When the news broke that the Colts were calling Rivers out of a five-year retirement to replace the injured Daniel Jones, most of us checked the calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1st. Rivers had been out of the game so long he was probably two years deep into coaching his son’s high school JV team.

He wasn’t brought in to be a savior. He was brought in to be a band-aid on a bullet hole. The Colts were spiraling, stuck in a three-game losing streak, and staring down the barrel of a lost season. But Rivers didn’t just show up to cash a check. He showed up to fight.

And that is what his teammates guys who watched him on TV when they were in middle school will remember.

A locker room in awe

Head coach Shane Steichen put it best: “Him coming out one last time and fighting like crazy – it was impressive to see.”

It takes a special kind of competitive maniac to leave the comfort of the couch (and let’s face it, a very nice couch) to get hit by 300-pound defensive linemen for three weeks. But that’s Rivers. He’s the guy who would talk trash to a fence post if he thought it was looking at him wrong.

“I appreciate him a lot,” said wide receiver Josh Downs, likely speaking for everyone who has ever loved the chaos Rivers brings to a huddle. “It’s incredible that he came off the couch and played after five years. I don’t think anybody would do that except him.”

Running back Jonathan Taylor, who has seen his fair share of gridiron battles, seemed genuinely moved by the veteran’s presence. “To be so deep into his coaching and to get a call to go play in an NFL football game… that’s a daunting task. But I’m sure that’s probably why they called him because he’s the one to be up for the challenge.”

Even Sauce Gardner, the young cornerback who probably had Rivers’ poster on his wall (or maybe his dad did), was starstruck. “I got so much gratitude, so much respect for him,” Gardner admitted. “Not just the player but the man that he is.”

Philip Rivers Walking away (again)

Rivers himself seems at peace with how this bizarre, bonus chapter of his career played out. He recalled his “first” retirement in January 2021, walking up the tunnel in Buffalo with tears in his eyes. He had made his peace then.

This time? It’s just gravy.

“If it’s the last one, it’s the last one,” Rivers said, sounding like a man who knows he gave it everything he had left in the tank. “I got three bonus games that I never saw coming and couldn’t be more thankful that I got the opportunity.”

What’s next for the Colts?

Now, the Colts face a meaningless Week 18 game against the Texans. Steichen has a decision to make. Does he trot out the rookie Riley Leonard to see what the kid has? Does he risk Anthony Richardson Sr., who is still nursing an eye injury?

Or does he give the Old Man one more series?

Whatever happens on Tuesday, the 2025 season will be remembered for this weird, wonderful three-game stretch where Philip Rivers reminded us all why we love football. It wasn’t about the wins (or lack thereof). It was about the heart. It was about a guy who just couldn’t say no to one last shootout.

“It’s unfortunate that we got him off the couch to lose,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said, summing up the collective mood.

But hey, Phil? No regrets.

“I told you guys I wasn’t gonna have any regrets about coming back, and I don’t,” Rivers said. Then, with that classic Rivers smirk, he added the kicker: “Other than us not winning, right?”

Classic Philip Rivers. Never change.