Rivers: No regrets, even with Colts 0-3 in return

INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers was minding his own business back in Alabama when Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen called him with a stunning proposition to unretire and come quarterback his former team as an emergency option.

Four weeks later, with Rivers reflecting on his 0-3 record since rejoining the Colts five years into retirement, and with Indianapolis eliminated from playoff contention, the 44-year-old says he’d do it all over again.

“I told you guys I wasn’t going to have any regrets about coming back and I don’t,” Rivers said after the Colts’ 23-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. “Other than us not winning … it’s been an absolute blast for three weeks. If I go back and say, ‘All right, now you know everything’s going to happen, what are you going to do?’ I’d do it all again. It’s been absolutely awesome. So, yeah, I mean, if it’s the last one, it’s the last one.”

With the Colts being eliminated from the playoff race with the Houston Texans‘ win Saturday, the Colts’ game against Jacksonville could well be the last game Rivers would start.

The Colts are contemplating starting rookie Riley Leonard in their season finale in Houston next weekend. The Colts stuck with their plan to start Rivers on Sunday even after Houston’s win because Rivers had taken the overwhelming majority of the starting quarterback reps during the week and was best prepared to play.

“I’m going to be on board and supportive of whatever the organization, [Steichen] and however that decision’s going to come to be,” Rivers said. “I’m sure I’ll have some conversation. It won’t just be a blindside Tuesday conversation from him.”

In three starts against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Jaguars, Rivers completed 63% of his pass attempts (58 of 92), throwing for 544 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. It wasn’t his best work as a pro, but it was arguably better than could have been expected for a team down to its third quarterback after losing Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. to injuries.

But Rivers didn’t give himself a pass after Sunday’s game.

“I thought this is probably the worst game I’ve had of the three,” he said. Rivers completed 17 of 30 attempts for 147 yards against Jacksonville. “Just couldn’t get in really any sync or rhythm.”

Rivers threw a costly interception on a poorly thrown third-down pass in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 17. That turnover, in Indianapolis territory, set up Jacksonville’s go-ahead field goal four plays later.

As for the future, Rivers was adamant that he doesn’t foresee a scenario in which he’d come out of retirement a second time. He never thought doing it even once was possible after retiring following the 2020 season, when the Colts’ campaign ended with a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills in January 2021.

“I thought the last one was walking off the field in Buffalo or walking up that tunnel,” he said. “And I was fine with that. And that one had tears those few days after. And I was at peace with that being the last one. So, certainly if it is [the last game], I got three bonus games that I never saw coming and couldn’t be more thankful that I got an opportunity.”

Rivers’ postseason plan is simple: head back home to Fairhope, Alabama, and retake his place as head coach at St. Michael Catholic. A number of players from the team made the trip to Indianapolis on Sunday and watched the game from a suite at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The whole experiment of Rivers returning didn’t end the way he would have liked. The goal was to give the Colts a chance to make a run at the postseason in spite of their injuries. But through it all, Rivers maintained perspective and his self-deprecating sense of humor.

“I’ll be right back on the sideline [coaching],” he said. “I’m sure many watching probably said that’s probably where you belong.”